Blue October, Volume One
by Woodland Goddess
Summary: One encounter between a seemingly unimportant child and a kind-hearted family; that's all it took to change the fate of the world. This is Part One of the story of Severus Snape, an innocent soul corrupted by a darkness out of his control. (Rated M for Adult Themes)
1. Chapter 1

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter One

Author: Woodland Goddess

Rated: M

Pairing: Severus/OC (as a whole) , but there may be glimmers of childish Snily throughout Volume One.

Warnings: In this story there **WILL** be adult content, so don't say I didn't warn you. I'm sorry, but as it's my take on Severus' story that is pretty much to be expected.

Disclaimer: I own none of the publically recognised characters or settings; they are the property of J K Rowling and her various publishers. I am making no profit from this; it is purely for my own enjoyment, though I don't begrudge others reading it. However, any Original Characters that I may or may not use in this story belong to me.

Summary: One encounter between a seemingly unimportant child and a kind-hearted family; that's all it took to change the fate of the world. This is Part One of the story of Severus Snape, an innocent soul corrupted by a darkness out of his control.

Author's Notes: This is the first part of a trilogy. I hope you'll enjoy the ride that the trilogy will be. I'm fleshing out his story, so bear with me and thinks that make no sense initially will start to make sense as the story continues. **ALSO**, please note that updates for this story will be much slower than they are for Trust.

Chapter One: An Unfortunate Beginning

The year – looking back it seemed so long ago now – was nineteen-sixty-four. A great many things happened in the United Kingdom that year, though the majority of occurrences would long be forgotten as the years went by. At the start of the year nineteen men were put on trial for the Great Train Robbery that had been carried out five months previously. In March, the Queen gave birth to her fourth child, a lovely son named Edward. In May, Joe Orton's black comedy _Entertaining Mr Sloane_ was premiered at the New Arts Theatre in London.

But those months were long over now and the month of July was swiftly coming to its end the day our story began. It was, as it happened, the twenty-eighth – a Tuesday, to be precise. That day was the day that Winston Churchill, eighty-nine years of age at the time, retired from the House of Commons. It was, however, of little importance in the town of Cokeworth, situated in northern England. Like many towns, Cokeworth had its subdivisions within its borders, invisibly dividing the poor from the middle class.

The most dramatic change for Cokeworth that year was rather detrimental to quite a number of townsfolk. The Mill, which had been running for one-hundred and thirty-five years, had closed in February. It was a devastating blow to the economy; it rendered one thousand of the town's citizens unemployed. The more well-to-do workers were fine for some time as they searched around for other employment, dipping into their hard-earned savings which had been kept for a 'rainy day' as it were.

It was the unfortunate citizens at the bottom of the income scale that had the most trouble, finding themselves struggling to make ends meet, unable to find employment due to their now threadbare appearance. One such member of the unfortunate ranks of the unemployed was Tobias Snape. He had been a strapping man, once upon a time, with well-kept dark hair and a strong clean-shaven jaw line. In recent days, though, his appearance had made quite a turn around. His hair was rather straggly, now, as on many occasions he had to forgo showering to do odd jobs around his street – fixing roofs, trimming lawns and other menial tasks.

His clothes were wearing thin, his shoes were quite tattered. The skin around his eyes was dark and bruised from the stress of everything going on in his life at that time. He began, much to his wife's horror, to drink. It was, to him, a psychological comfort but it had life-altering effects on the Snape household. Now, if the Mill had never closed, this would never be an issue and the future would be unaccountably different. But it had and a darker future lay in store, not only for the Snapes, but the world at large.

Tobias Snape's ever-growing problem with alcohol would be one of the larger dominos that would lead to great pain happening in the world...but more on that later. For now, our story begins with a little boy named Severus – he was, unfortunate though it may seem, the only child of Tobias Snape and his wife, Eileen. Early in January our young hero turned four and true to his age, Severus was a rambunctious child. Getting into mischief was quite his forte, though he would soon be conditioned out of that trait.

After breakfast on the twenty-eighth of July, Severus was alone in his house on Spinner's End. Tobias had gone out – the pungent odour of alcohol still clinging to his breath – to trim the Pettigrews' bushes a few streets away. Eileen, unable to afford a sitter, but unable to bring her young son with her, was scrimping away as a brewer in the basement of the Apothecary in Diagon Alley. Being a woman and a blood-traitor at the time, finding employment was unbearably difficult; she was forced to take what she could get her hands on, however measly it was.

Severus, sitting on the floor of the cluttered living room, was playing with one of Eileen's spare stirring rods and a broken cauldron, making music as he struck the cauldron over and over with the rod. His hair was rather unkempt – though brushed, it had clearly not been washed in some time. His clothes – trousers, stockings, a shirt, coat and shoes – were quite frayed, having been worn repeatedly. His collection of clothes was limited; he had outgrown the majority of his wardrobe and there were insufficient funds to buy him new clothes.

Making music with a cauldron and rod was one of the few ways Eileen had found that could keep her mischievous child out of trouble. He was quite fascinated with the sounds it made when he hit different areas of the cauldron's surface. It was rather unfortunate that his slapping of the rod against the cauldron became too vigorous. The rod snapped in half, the sound echoing in the empty living room, startling the little boy into stillness as he stared down at the cauldron, wide-eyed with shock.

The boy's lower lip jutted outwards slightly and began to tremble below his nose – not quite the protrusion it would be in later years. He might have cried had something not distracted him in that moment. In the distance, he could hear laughter. Curious, the boy climbed to his feet and toddled out towards the front door. His progress was hindered by his inability to reach the doorknob. It did not deter him, after looking around for something to stand on and finding nothing, young Severus turned to look at the door, glaring at it.

Though he was young and still adorable by social standards, he was already taking after his father. His glare could wither a healthy plant. His body tingled from the roots of his hair to the nails on his toes; he had felt this on many occasions, but as of yet he had no idea what it signified. The door was no match for the strength of his gaze and a satisfied smirk, reminiscent of his mother's, tugged at the corner of the boy's mouth as he heard the click of the locking mechanism within and watched the doorknob turn.

The door swung inwards, revealing the outside world to him. Emboldened by his achievement, Severus stepped out into the world before him, pulling the door closed behind him with hardly any effort. In silence, the young boy listened again for the sound that had enchanted him; the gleeful laughing of a happy little girl. Young Severus had often heard the sounds of other children being happy outside, but he had never had the opportunity to see it. His mother, strict as she was, hardly ever allowed him to leave the house.

The one occasion for which he had been taken out of the house was when his Uncle, on Tobias' side, had passed away due to a heart attack – a rather unfortunate side-effect of eating fried foods drenched in butter, three times a day. However, that journey through the unknown was such a distant memory young Severus was no longer capable of recalling it. With a purpose in his stride, his small, delicate hands curled into fists and his face tight with determination, our hero marched off in search of the laughter's source.

He toddled along the quay, the cloying perfume emanating from the sewage-ridden river barely registering within his one-tracked mind. Severus was lucky there were very little cars out and about at that time of day; he paid little heed to road signs and made no effort to check for possible oncoming traffic. In later years, he would look back on this moment and curse his own idiocy, but four-year-old Severus was quite content to just reach wherever he was headed, regardless of where that would be.

He took no notice of the strange and worried looks aimed at him by passing adults. He was entirely focused on reaching his destination. The source of the laughter, Severus learned, was a playground. He had never seen the playground in person, but he knew what it was – he could recall a picture, in a book Eileen would read with him at night, bearing a striking resemblance to the sight before him. There were very few people at the playground – the only one in the entire town.

Recalling his numbers with a little difficulty, Severus counted how many people were in the playground. In total, there were three; a man, a woman and a young child. The man seemed to be a rather sturdy fellow; it was clear hard work was nothing new to him. He wore trousers and a shirt with his sleeves rolled up, showcasing his powerful arms which were dashed with dark blonde hair. The first few buttons of his shirt were undone and he wore no tie. Severus secretly wondered whether he was having a moment with his family, before going off to work.

The man's shoes – even from Severus' distance – were clearly freshly shined. It was quite obvious that their family were rather more well-to-do than Severus'. The man's hair, light blonde in the sunshine, was thick and slightly wavy, but cut short at the same time. He had a strong jaw, an average nose, bright green eyes and a healthy shine to his skin. He seemed, to Severus, the definition of health. The man turned, smiling, to the woman at his side and bestowed a kiss upon her cheek, causing her face to flush with warmth.

The woman – young Severus assumed she was the man's wife, judging by the gleam of gold on her left hand – was rather pretty with a heart-shaped face and soft auburn locks to her shoulders. Everything about the woman was delicate, rather like the petals of a rose, or the hand of a porcelain doll. She wore a charcoal pillbox hat without adornments, a charcoal boxy jacket with large black buttons over a white ruffled blouse, a snug charcoal skirt and black heeled shoes. She was stunningly feminine; it was a great contrast to what Eileen would normally wear, which, to Severus, often seemed quite mannish.

The woman had healthy skin, flushed with life and a smile that could have melted the cockles of a cold heart. Her nose was a small and delicate as the rest of her and her eyes, a warm brown, were evenly set and framed by long lashes. Her arm was lightly linked around her husband's elbow and she seemed quite contented with her lot in life. Severus tore his gaze from the lovely couple and turned his head to look towards the little girl they had accompanied to the playground, whose laughter had caught Severus' attention.

The little girl was wearing a machine-sewn overdress of sheer ivory organdy with a natural waistline. The overdress was gathered below at her knees and had a scooped neck with a _Peter Pan_ collar. It had shorted puffed sleeves with bound edges. There were detailed bluebirds embroidered in shades of blue and pink; two clustered at her collar, one near her stomach and the others scattered around the skirt. The centre back opening closed with a hook and eye on the bottom, a snap on the top and four pearlized off-white plastic shank buttons in between.

Though Severus could not see it, the under-dress was a machine and hand-sewn garment made of heavy ivory taffeta. It was sleeveless and had a slightly shorter gathered skirt than the overdress did. The neckline was a bound, plain scoop. It closed with snaps up the back and hook and eye on the bottom. Around her waist, the girl wore a shiny blue ribbon. She had matching ribbons in her hair – auburn like her mother's, but quite straight rather than slightly curled. Her sweetly rounded legs were clad in white frilly stockings that stopped mid-shin and she wore blue shoes, freshly shined, on her small feet.

Her face, similar to her mother's in shape, was quite lovely, smooth white in places and flushed pink with life in others. Her eyes were a vibrant green, much like her father's, and they seemed to sparkle with an inner fire that rather blew Severus' mind. The sight of her mystified young Severus; he had never seen another child his age. "Higher, Papa!" the little girl cried, her delight plain, as the swing on which she sat moved through the air, her auburn locks flying behind her like a banner. Laughing, her father obliged.

Enchanted by the sight before him Severus entered the playground through the kissing gate, his gaze rather fixated on the set of swings. The playground was of average size, with pits of sand resting beneath the swings and slides and go-'rounds – in case a child should fall off. He made his way over to the swings, amazed by the workings of the swing, wondering how much effort and body strength it would take to get one moving on his own. Severus circled the swinging girl, heading for the empty swing, unaware that the married couple were startled by his sudden appearance.

Severus glared at the chained seat before him, which was roughly level with his eyebrows – he was rather short for his age. Eileen had assured him he would start growing like a weed in no time at all and not to worry about his stature for now, but at times Severus felt rather cheated by his height. With small hands he took hold of the swing and struggled to pull himself onto it. His face quickly filled with the red of exertion as his breathing shortened with the effort he was putting into his actions.

"Having trouble, there, young man?" The question, coming from the man, was calm and warm, with a hint of amusement laced in its tone.

"No," Severus groused, the word tumbling out with a sharp exhalation, "I'm well able to do it by myself!" Already his voice held hints of the snarl that would be so well-known in years to come. Remembering Eileen's constant orders to be polite, the young boy dutifully bit out, "Sir." Eventually, however, huffing and puffing from exertion, he was forced to give up. He released the chains of the swing and stumbled back, landing hard upon his rump. He turned his glare on the red-haired little girl when a giggle escaped her, her swing slowing to a stop as she veritably stared at him. "Do you _mind_?" Severus almost demanded of her, his upper lip curling slightly – much like Tobias' did.

"Don't speak to my Lily like that," the girl's mother said, resting her hands on her hips as a stern expression came over her pretty face – it was a look that would haunt him in later years, when her daughter began adopting those traits, but more on that later.

"Jen," her husband murmured soothingly, brushing her arm with his larger masculine hand. "She just laughed at him; the poor boy's humiliated." He was rather lucky Severus had no idea what that large word meant or he would have a highly indignant little boy ploughing his foot into his shin. The man turned towards Severus, smiling at him, and asked, once the boy's breathing and blood pressure had calmed down a great deal, "Are you sure you don't want some help?" His vibrant green eyes sparkled pleasantly in the morning light.

Severus glanced around to be sure no one else would witness his defeat and, finally, muttered, "Alright. Will you help me up? Please?" His cheeks filled with the pink of mortification as the man reached down and lifted him, with apparent ease, onto the seat of the swing. "Thanks," Severus mumbled, glaring down at the ground, cursing his own shortcomings – mainly his diminutive stature and lack of upper body strength. But such shortcomings were to be expected when he was not getting the full amount of nutrition that he needed.

Severus tried with all his might to make the swing move on his own and, even though he never saw the action, he had a feeling Lily's father had taken pity on him and had pushed the swing a little. "So, young man, where's your mother?" The man asked gently, but it was quite clear that he was extremely curious. After all, it was not every day one stumbled across a child that did not seem to have any parental figure watching out for him – and outside of the home, that was a rather dangerous thing.

"At work," Severus said simply, avoiding looking at the kind man with brilliant emerald eyes.

"And your father?"

"At work," Severus reiterated, a hint of annoyance beginning to creep into his small voice. Young Severus knew, of course, that he was being a very bold boy, coming out of the house without his parents' permission, but he had no idea why it would be any of this man's business.

"And your sitter?" The more the man questioned him, the more troubled the man looked. At this point his brows were knitting together with the strength of his frown and his mouth had thinned to an almost invisible line. Severus was unaware of this change, however, as he was still determined to not look in his direction.

"What's a sitter?" Severus asked, turning to the man now, his nose scrunching up with the power of his confusion.

"Well, I suppose that answers that question," the man muttered, looking to the sky briefly, before fixing his gaze on Severus once more. He gave the boy a benign smile. "A sitter is someone who looks after you while your parents are at work."

"Oh," Severus replied, looking back down at the ground. With his confusion gone his nose was now wrinkle-free. "I don't have one."

"Well, my wife and I are going to leave soon and we can't very well leave you by yourself. The world is a dangerous place for a child, you know."

"Not for me," the boy said, with all the pride of a child coddled by his mother. "My Mama says I'm special."

"Of course, you are." The sincerity in the man's voice was honest, as if he truly believed that young Severus was, indeed, quite special. A smile stretched across the green-eyed man's face. "How about I walk you home, eh?" Then he frowned a little. "What did you say your name was?"

Young Severus smirked up at the man, his amusement plain. "I didn't. It's Sev...Seveh...Sevyus!" He always had trouble pronouncing his name; it was not quite yet within his vocal grasp.

"Sevyus? That's a strange name."

"It's Roman," he said, recalling what Eileen used to tell him as he hopped off the swing, looking up at the man in front of him. Having made a mess of saying his name, confusing the man before him, Severus started to grow rather distressed, his eyes stinging with tears he could hardly control and his cheeks flushing pink with mortification.

The kind man was quick to understand what the troubling matter was and was just as swift to try to put it right. "Hey," he said soothingly, crouching to down to be on the same level as the small boy, "it's alright. We all have trouble in the early days; you'll be saying big words with ease in no time at all." Then, he smiled that warm smile again as Severus began calming down, coaxing a little smile out of the boy. "Maybe you can spell your name out for me? I bet you're really good at spelling!"

Severus nodded vigorously, eyeing the man earnestly, though his eyes were now slightly reddened from his brief emotional turmoil. "S-E-V-E-R-U-S," the boy rattled off his letters with great success, smiling happily when comprehension dawned on the man before him.

"Ah! What a name! I have a feeling you're going to be a great man one day." The man stretched out, looming over him with a warm smile. "Come on, now, best get you home before one of your parents finds you missing." He held out a hand to the boy and, after a moment of hesitation, Severus decided he trusted the man and took his hand. The man had no need of asking where the boy was from; he could tell just by the cut of his clothes and the state of his hair, but wisely he kept his thoughts to himself as they escorted Severus out of the playground.

Lily, the young girl with her red hair in ribbons, was being carried by her mother, Jen, and the unnamed man walked between them and Severus. At the kissing gate, the man parted ways with his wife and child, who headed towards their parked car – a red Jaguar Mk 2 – in the opposite direction to Spinner's End. Severus and the mysterious green-eyed man made their way towards the boy's rather dilapidated home, talking animatedly to one another, ignoring the looks passersby shot in their direction...

To Be Continued.

Feel free to tell me what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Two.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Note: For Disclaimers see chapter one. There are adult themes in this chapter. If you love Severus...find a cushion and some tissues. I know I needed them...

Chapter Two: Break

It did not take long for Severus' home in Spinner's End to come into view and, when it did, the boy began feeling uncomfortable. He was hesitant to approach the household; there was just something in the air that told him that something was not right. It was the result of a natural ability in all children, to detect danger in anything and anyone. Eileen Snape often stated that it was a primitive method of divination that everyone was born with and that could be cultivated when a child attends a magical educational facility.

Of course, such statements were beyond Severus' ability to understand at his age, but regardless...something was going to happen and young Severus knew it, even if he was unaware of how. The boy stopped walking, gripping the mystery man's hand quite tightly. The man turned his head and frowned down at the child worriedly, noting how Severus' already pale face had drained of more colour, his dark eyes were wide like those of a deer caught in a set of headlights. The boy started shaking, taking a step back as he glanced between the man and his home.

"Hey," the green-eyed man said, smiling softly at him, "it's alright." He crouched down so that he was level with Severus, just as he had at the playground. "There's no need to be scared, Severus. I'm sure everything will be fine; you're unharmed and haven't done anything that terrible. A lot of children go wandering at your age; it's up to the parents to keep an eye on their children. In this case, the parents are at fault, not you. If anyone gets angry with you, I'll stick up for you. Don't worry."

It was the tone, more than the words that convinced Severus to continue towards his homestead. However, as children were wont to do when frightened, he stayed quite close to the man's legs, one hand gripping the fabric of the man's trousers. When they neared Severus' home, the two of them entered through the rusted gate and approached the front door. In the small patch of earth beneath the living room window there grew several strange plants that Severus knew the man had never seen before.

Severus knew what the plants were, of course. He had often been recruited by Eileen to tend them and help her harvest the ingredients for her Potions. He knew nothing of properties or uses for ingredients yet, but already Severus was at the start of his journey towards mastery in Potions, though that knowledge was yet to be discovered by the boy himself. After eyeing the garden suspiciously, the mystery man led Severus to the front door of his home and rapped sharply upon the door.

Young Severus stepped even closer to the mystery man's legs, as if he could hide forever behind them. At first, there was nothing and then a mighty crash erupted from within the dwelling. Severus flinched; even the man gave a little start, taking an automatic step backwards. The front door was wrenched opened, revealing the face of Tobias Snape, whose skin had darkened with the strength of his anger. A vein in his forehead pulsed visibly under the pressure the man's emotions were exerting. "You!" Tobias hissed in anger, his dark eyes fixated upon his son, who was now cowering slightly behind the mystery man.

Severus whimpered, closing his eyes, hiding his face in the mystery man's trousers. The man hardened, taking a step towards the boy's father. "Now, see here, sir!" he said in a respectful, if authoritative, tone. "Calm yourself. I found your son wandering into the playground – as is the nature of a child. This poor boy doesn't deserve to have this anger directed at him. He's only a small child; he doesn't yet know right from wrong. Give him some time. It is, after all, your job to teach him and watch out for him."

"What gives you the right to interfere?" Tobias demanded, stepping forward and taking Severus firmly by the arm. With a harsh tug the boy was pulled inside and shoved into the hallway beyond the door. "Who the _hell_ are you?"

The mystery man drew himself up to his full height, his chest puffing out slightly. It was quite clear he was a confident man and no other would deter him from speaking his mind – even if it was not strictly his place. "My name is Harold Evans. I'm a father, just like you," he said with dignity as he gazed right at Severus' father.

Tobias' jaw tightened and he stared right back at Mr Evans. "Is that so, Mr Evans? Well, you're not _his_, so get off my property or I'll call the Bobbies down here."

"You wouldn't dare," Mr Evans ground out, clearly forcing himself to remain calm. "I did you a favour by bringing your child home; I could have left him there – prey for any depraved soul."

"Nobody asked you to bring him home." With that, Tobias Snape slammed the door closed and Severus let out a small cry. Tobias was usually never this angry – especially not with Severus. This..._new_ father scared him. For several moments Tobias gazed out the glass panel on the side of the door, clearly waiting for Mr Evans to depart. Then, slowly, in silence, Tobias started to turn around. One day, Severus would have chronic nightmares about this moment and for him they would always come to an end, but for young Severus...the end was nowhere in sight.

His breath carrying the tell-tale sign of alcohol and his eyes slightly bloodshot, Tobias stalked towards Severus. His rage was still evident and growing by the moment. Severus took a step back, his wide eyes locked upon the man he had once called father...but it was no longer him. This man...was a monster. Before it even entered Severus' mind to try to run, Tobias had caught his arm, gripping it so tightly it hurt. Severus let out a pained cry; were he older he would have feared his father might snap the bone clean in half. "Papa, you're hurting me," the boy said, tears filling his dark eyes, blurring his vision, as he struggled against his father's strong grip.

Tobias dragged him down the hall, the boy's feet scrabbling against the wooden floor, searching for purchase. Once they were far enough back from the front door Tobias threw the child down on the floor. Severus tried to crawl, but Tobias' foot came down on his shoulders, pinning him to the floor. At this point Severus was unable to stop the tears from cascading down his cheeks, no matter how hard he tried. He twisted and turned his head, trying to see what his father was doing and then he froze as a sound reached his ear.

It was the sound of leather sliding against cloth. Even his young mind knew what that sound was; Tobias was removing his belt. Though Severus would forever be unaware of it, out in the street Mr Evans hesitated to walk too far away from the house. It would seem to be chance that the man heard his first scream. Severus would never know it, but Mr Evans, who had seemed so brave earlier, was frightened away by a child's scream. Perhaps, for the world's future, that was a good thing...but Mr Evans would regret his flight until his very last breath...

_Three Years Later..._

"Run, Severus; hide! _Quickly_!" The words, rushed and fearful, tumbled from Eileen Snape's mouth as she ushered Severus out of the kitchen, where they had been working on a cauldron of _Pepper-up_ together. He knew why she was doing so; Tobias' drunken singing was reaching his ears from down the road. The louder his voice, the more intoxicated the man typically was and it never boded well for the family. Severus, his face paler than normal, obeyed his mother without argument.

Though he knew she would be taking the brunt of Tobias' ire, he also knew that she would do it gladly if it meant Severus could stay out of harm's way...for a little while longer. While she was not the most kind-hearted woman, she was a mother to her core and would do anything for her young. His blood pounding in his ears, his breath coming in short, sharp gasps, Severus fled up the stairs, stumbling on his way. He hurt his knee when it collided, hard, against the staircase during his ascent.

Once he reached the top he hobbled, slightly, into his bedroom. He knew Tobias would expect him to avoid his own room, since there were so few places to hide and that was exactly the reason Severus hid there. Looking quickly about, Severus made a beeline for the wardrobe. The wardrobe was tall and narrow, but still big enough for Severus, embarrassingly slight for his age, to hide within the shadows of its interior. He climbed into the wardrobe, pulling the door closed – but due to a fault when it was being made; there was a gap between the doors, allowing him to see out of it, if he squinted. He slid down to the bottom of the wardrobe and wrapped his arms around his legs, hugging them to his chest.

Downstairs, the front door slammed shut and Severus knew his father had arrived home. He pressed his face against his knees and squeezed his eyes shut as the sound of an argument came from below. An argument about why Severus had failed to do his chores that day. His breath caught in his throat as the harsh sound of flesh slapping against flesh echoed through the household, meeting his ears like an extra form of torture. He heard his mother's cry of pain, following by a crash and a clang – that would be the table and cauldron being knocked over.

"Please," he whispered, the words pushing past his aching tongue, now swollen from biting into it, "make it stop." The words began falling from his lips repeatedly, morphing into a mantra of perpetual pleading. To what or to whom he pleaded, he never knew. All he knew was that his mother could take very little more of what Tobias would deal to her. She had been a strong Witch since the day she was born...but love made fools of even the strongest of people. She needed the sort of help he was, at his age, unable to provide.

He listened, his eyes stinging with tears that he tried not to let fall, as Tobias laid into Eileen, hands and boots assaulting her viciously. Severus choked back a sob and slipped his hands into his long, dark hair, gripping hard...as if doing that could help in anyway. Without even realizing it, he began to rock back and forth inside the wardrobe, choking back his sobs, trying to block out the sound of his mother being beaten in the kitchen. When silence fell below, his heart started to pound harshly against his ribcage.

Had Tobias passed out from the high level of alcohol in his blood? Had he left? Had someone heard the commotion and intervened? Severus knew he was hoping for miracles that would never happen. He had to be realistic; they would never be lucky enough for any of those things to occur. He calmed himself down, forced himself to pay close attention to his surroundings. He sucked in a breath when the staircase creaked. Tobias was on his way...and it would only be a matter of time before the man found him.

The tread of heavy boots passed Severus' bedroom door, heading towards his parents' bedroom – the most obvious hiding place in the house. Severus listened as Tobias tore the bedroom apart, cursing loudly as he did so. Severus wrapped his arms around his legs once more, making himself as small as possible – perhaps in a futile attempt to disappear altogether. The footsteps returned, growing louder and louder as Tobias pushed Severus' bedroom door open. Already he could smell the alcohol on his father's breath.

Covering his mouth to try to muffle his breathing, Severus listened closely. "I know you're here, boy." The voice of his nightmares ground the words out through clenched teeth. Severus tried not to whimper in fear. "I can smell your worthless hide." Nothing followed. There were no footsteps, no sounds of the man's breathing, no sound of the door closing. Severus was too much of a pessimist to believe the man had left, but he knew he had to check to be sure. With great care, Severus shifted as slowly and as silently as possible, bringing his eye closer to the tiny gap between the doors.

For a while, he saw nothing and then a bloodshot eye appeared a mere inch from his own. A strangled cry escaped Severus' throat and he lurched back, even as the wardrobe doors were wrenched open, revealing Tobias Snape at the height of his rage. Tobias reached into the wardrobe with his large hands. Instinctively, Severus thrust his leg out and kicked the man hard in the chest. Due to his size and lack of strength – a result of malnutrition – the action hardly did anything to deter his father.

Tobias wrapped his hands around the boy's calf. With a growl, the drunken lout hauled Severus out of the wardrobe, tugging hard when the boy's hands began scrabbling for purchase on the wood. He landed hard on the floor when Tobias threw him down, towering over him like a monster from the darkness of his nightmares. "Did you think I wouldn't find you, you scrawny little freak?! Think you're better than me, eh?!"

"Ten times better," Severus answered with a sense of confidence that did not exist. His eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened as he tried to be brave...like his mother would want him to be. Masks; that was all he had left if Severus was honest with himself. Even at such a young age, he knew he had nothing but his masks. They were weak now, but one day...one day they would be strong and very little would slip passed. He promised this to himself as he stared up at the man he had once called 'Papa.'

Tobias dropped to his knees, almost squashing Severus under his weight as he sat on the boy's torso. The man struck Severus, the force knocking Severus' head hard onto the floor. Severus bit his tongue, hard, in his effort to stay silent. The sharp coppery taste of blood filled his mouth and he swallowed some of it back, while some of it continued to mingle with the saliva building in his mouth. His cheek stung terribly, but he knew that was the least of his worries at the moment. What worried him most was not knowing how far Tobias was willing to go this time.

The weight above him grew more intense and Severus wheezed, struggling to breathe. When he started fighting back, trying to get the pressure to lift so he could breathe, Tobias took it as a challenge. The man laid into him, striking him over and over, tenderizing his small body. By the time Tobias was through with him, Severus could hardly move. Every inch of him hurt, deeply, and he knew he had to look horrible. Getting to his feet, Tobias attacked him one final time, his books coming crashing down on Severus' left arm.

A white-hot agony raced from his arm to Severus' brain and a scream tore up from his throat for the first time during his assault. Smirking in triumph at his victory, his father left the room, leaving Severus in a heap on his bedroom floor. Tears spilled down Severus' bruised and swollen face, mingling with his blood. Sobbing, Severus pulled his throbbing arm towards himself, his body curling up, though that too sent spirals of agony through him. For a long time, Severus was left alone in his room, trying not to weep too loudly, while pain throbbed through every inch of him.

It was some time later, when the sounds of Tobias stumbling into his bedroom, falling onto the mattress, could be heard. Soft footsteps came slowly up the staircase, dragging almost, and Severus' door was pushed open, revealing Eileen Snape. The woman was beaten to the point where her son had trouble recognizing her and yet still she had managed to find the strength to climb the staircase and come to her son, wand gripped tightly in her hand. "Oh, Severus..." she murmured, her voice trailing off miserably at the sight of him.

She crossed the threshold and, slowly and carefully, eased her battered body down onto the floor, so that she could try to heal her son. The process was a torturous one, his mother having to pause and catch her breath in the middle of incantations designed to heal him. The charms took care of the open cuts on his body. Next, Eileen Snape reached into the pouch, sewn onto the front of her skirts, and withdrew a vial of purple ointment that did not look, at all, appealing. Squinting through eyes that were so swollen they were almost sealed shut, Severus watched as his mother opened the vial and coated her fingers in the unctuous ointment.

Soft whimpers escaped him as she gingerly massaged the ointment onto all the areas she was certain would be bruised the following day. "I know, sweetheart...I know," she murmured, drawing him into her arms as she finished with the tender areas. The only area she dared not touch was one that had resulted in a choked yell and that was his left arm. Wrapped up in his mother's arms, Severus felt no qualms about giving into his anguish – she was one of the few people who made him feel comfortable while pouring his heart out.

Not that he had had much experience with non-familial people, of course. The last time he had come in contact with someone he was not related to was quite a while ago – three years, if his numbers were correct, which he knew they were. He knew that the people he had been fortunate to meet would have long ago forgotten him...but he never forgot them. Not once. The memory of those vibrant green eyes was the only thing that helped him fall asleep at night – even if he would wake from nightmares later on.

When his piteous tears eventually came to a stop, Eileen, weary and pained from her own ordeal, helped Severus to his feet, out of his clothes, into a set of worn pyjamas and into bed. "There's not a lot I can do for your arm, Severus," she said quietly, her gaze darting between his arm and his face. "Your father will have to spare some time tomorrow and bring you to the pharmacy; it is more than I can mend. The pharmacist should know enough to say whether it needs to be seen by a Doctor and if it does...well...I'm sure we'll be able to figure something out."

Severus knew what the woman meant. He had been aware of their financial struggles for some time, though he tried not to let his mother know that. In silence, he nodded and Eileen put on a brave smile and caressed his cheek lightly. "Try not to sleep on it." She brushed a kiss against his forehead and disappeared out the door, casting his room in darkness. For almost an hour and a half Severus lay awake, staring at the ceiling, his body tensed, almost expecting Tobias to return for another round of punishment for Severus' 'sins.'

When he was convinced that Tobias was not going to return that night, he finally began to relax. Severus let his mind wander back to that day in the playground, to the man with green eyes who had been so kind to him, though he must have looked and smelled something terrible...

To Be Continued.

Reviews are like chocolates; make the Dementors go away by leaving them...


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Three.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Notes: I cried writing the last chapter... Thanks for the reviews, those who left them! ^_^

Chapter Three: A Taste of Good Fortune

The following morning found Severus in a surly mood. His left arm was swollen horribly and throbbed painfully at the slightest touch or movement. A large stretch of his skin was mottled black and blue and deep purple. He knew quite well something was not right beneath the surface of his flesh, but he also knew it would take some persuading for Tobias to get it seen to. He glared up at the ceiling of his bedroom, knowing his chances of doing so were incredibly slim. He had enough spite in him to contemplate not getting it seen to and having it develop a serious infection, forcing the necessity of calling an ambulance...but he put a stop to that thought immediately.

Severus needed both of his hands to be fully functioning. He would need his hands in the future, not only for casting spells during class...but for his future career. Though he was only seven years old, he knew where he wanted to go in life. He wanted to study the subtle science and art that was Potions. He had heard his mother speak so favourably about that subject that he would pursue that goal with all of his strength and intellect, just to bring a smile to her face. Eileen never smiled and that, in itself, was enough to compel him up out of bed.

Severus struggled to find some clothes that were not too horribly threadbare and then got dressed. He dressed slowly, trying not to hurt his arm too much, but it was futile. Clenching his jaw tightly shut and ignoring the blurring of his vision, he dressed as best as he could. As soon as he was finished, he brushed his hair with his comb – which was missing three or four teeth – and left his bedroom, sniffling and rubbing his face with his right arm. He was getting rid of the evidence of his weakness.

When Severus entered the kitchen he noticed that both of his parents remained, still. Tobias was hidden behind the previous day's newspaper – Severus assumed the man had filched it from one of the nicer homes he did chores for. Eileen was at the cooker, stirring a pot of porridge. The previous day's porridge. He had to fight the urge to curl his lip, knowing that, if he turned his nose up at it, he would be unable to have anything else. Normally, he would have greeted his mother with a hug...but normally Tobias was gone from the house by this time.

In silence, Severus seated himself at the kitchen table, as far from Tobias as it was possible to be. He rested his arm, as carefully as he could, upon the table, wincing as a twinge of pain shot up to his brain, but it provided relief too – an unusable arm was a heavy weight to carry around. They did not notice his presence until Eileen turned from the cooker and startled at the sight of him, almost dropping Tobias' bowl of porridge. Luckily, for both of their sakes, she did not drop it. "Severus, I didn't hear you come in," she said breathlessly, one hand resting against her throat.

"I was taught to make no noise and pretend I don't exist, so I don't know what you want me to say," Severus answered mulishly, scowling down at the vibrantly coloured bruises on his arm. Eileen's lips thinned at his answer, but she said nothing in response. She laid the bowl of porridge and a tarnished spoon down on the table, in front of Tobias. Eileen dished up two more bowls of porridge and sat at the table, between Severus and his father, almost like a mediator. Only then did the hung-over man lower his newspaper.

Severus decidedly avoided looking at his father as he picked up his spoon, but even without doing so, he could feel the power of the man's scowl. "Why does the boy get more than me?" Tobias growled, the voice sending a paroxysm of fear through Severus. "All he does is it around the house all day, while I'm out there working to put food on this table." Severus shrank in his chair, trying to disappear as he started eating his breakfast. For some time, there was silence and Severus wondered if the man's question would go unanswered, but eventually Eileen bit out a response.

"I gave him more because he's a growing boy," she said, sharp enough to challenge, but soft enough to not attract his ire too horribly. "He needs all the nutrition he can get and since the ingredients needed for a _Nutrition Potion_ are unavailable to us, you'll have to make do with what I give you or you'll get nothing tomorrow." Eileen kept her eyes to the table as she scooped some porridge with her spoon. A half-growl – little more than a warning – escaped Tobias' throat, but the foul man said nothing more.

Breakfast passed in silence, save for the sound of spoons clinking against the ceramic of bowls. Eileen disappeared upstairs to get started on the laundry and Tobias ordered Severus to get a start on the dishes. Quite resentfully Severus obeyed the order, struggling to carry all the bowls and spoons over to the sink one-handed. He was half-way there when he had the misfortune of tripping over something. With a crash as the ceramic shattered, Severus landed hard on the floor, his injured arm trapped beneath him.

A scream of agony was ripped from him and tears welled in his eyes, despite his best efforts to fight them. He did not have to look to know that his father had tripped him on purpose. Tobias Snape was a foul man, Severus had come to learn. "Those bowls were bought with hard-earned money, so you'd want to watch where you're going, boy," Tobias said, a sneer curling his upper lip. "If it happens again, I'll...be forced to tan your worthless hide. Am I understood?" Without looking at him, Severus nodded, sniffling quietly.

Despite his tears, despite the absolute agony pulsating through his left arm, despite his desire to just disappear, Severus forced himself up from the floor. He stood in front of his father, head tilted downwards, gaze fixated on his worn shoes. He's lank hair fell off his shoulders to frame his face, casting his features in shadow, for which he was inherently grateful. He did not want Tobias to see his tears. "I'm sorry, sir," he whispered, knowing it had not been his fault the dishes broke. "It won't happen again."

"Good," Tobias growled, lurching up from his seat. Instinctively, Severus stepped back away from him, shoulders quivering. A dark, cruel laugh bubbled up from within the man and he cuffed Severus across the head. "What did I do to deserve such a nancy for a son?" Severus' jaw clenched tightly and his right hand curled into a fist at his side when he heard the word. He had no idea what it meant, but he knew it was meant to be an insult. A _Muggle_ insult. Just knowing its origins made him want to kick the man before him, the man who acted no more like a father than a drunken stranger would.

To distract himself, Severus began picking up the broken shards of ceramic, carrying them over to the wastebasket. It was a slow process, as he was only able to pick-up a certain amount, but he remained focused. He ignored the fact that Tobias was watching him like a hawk, waiting for him to make the slightest mistake. When he finished the task, his father looked at him as if he were a thrice-blasted dog he had broken into doing his bidding. Severus' lip curled at the knowledge of how his own father saw him, but he hid it to the best of his ability.

Tobias made to leave, but Severus' hesitant voice caused him to pause in the doorway. "Sir...I...Mama said that I need to have the pharmacist take a look at this..." Severus did not want to beg, but he knew he needed to get his arm looked at. His voice cracked slightly as he utter the word, "Please."

A nasty smile spread itself across Tobias' cruel mouth. "You're in for a long walk, then. Your scrawny arse will keel over before you get there, no doubt. Come along, boy," he snapped, his patience waning as he strode for the door. Obediently, Severus followed after him, head bowed, eyes downcast. Tobias' words were only too truthful; they had to cross the entire length of the town, to get to the only Pharmacy in the area. It was a long walk and Tobias kept a quick pace, forcing Severus to run in order to keep up with him.

It played havoc with the muscles in Severus' legs. His legs were burning by the time they reached the Pharmacy and there was an ache between his shoulder blades every time he inhaled. When they reached the Pharmacy, Severus had to grab onto the wall with his right hand, to prevent himself from falling over as he struggled to catch his breath after so much exertion. But Tobias gave him no chance to do so, gripping his hair tightly and virtually hauling him inside the premises.

Severus did not fight his father's grip too much, knowing it would only hurt more if he did so. It did not stop him from giving Tobias a look of contempt when he was released, however. Fortunately for Severus, they were the only customers in the Pharmacy that morning – the rest were staff. There was a man behind the counter, leaning against it with his hip as he read the newspaper. Severus' heart clenched his chest and his breathing stopped as his eyes took in the man before him. In spite of the rather long white shirt the man had to wear for work and the wire-rimmed glasses that now rested lightly against the bridge of his nose, Severus would recognise that man anywhere.

It was the kind man from the playground, Harold Evans. Other than the glasses and the change of apparel, the man looked just as healthy and handsome as ever. Looking at him, Severus found himself wistfully wondering what it would be like to get three square meals a day and have the chance to wash more than once every few days. Mr Evans must have heard them enter the Pharmacy because he lifted and turned his head slightly, bringing those vibrant green eyes into the light.

Severus stared into those big green eyes, a silent plea in his own dark gaze. He thought his prayer went unanswered when Mr Evans flicked his gaze towards Tobias as he straightened. Folding the newspaper, Mr Evans set it aside and reached up one-handed for his spectacles. The glasses were folded and slipped into his breast pocket in a matter of seconds. "Good morning, Sir. How can I help you?" he asked politely, giving him the typical smile of a man who had to deal with the public on a daily basis.

"Your cheapest brand of painkillers...how strong of a dosage do they come in?" Tobias asked, quite reluctantly, as he stood rigidly in front of the Pharmacist. It was clear that, despite his state of hang over, Tobias recognised the man before just as much as Severus had. It was also obvious that knowledge did not sit well with him.

"Well," Mr Evans began, giving Tobias a shrewd look, "that depends on the case at hand. Who needs it and what ailment is it meant to be treating?"

"Boy," Tobias growled over his shoulder. Severus obeyed the implied command and stepped forward immediately, coming right up close to the desk. Keeping his head down to avoid any possible pitying looks from Mr Evans, he indicated his injured arm.

Mr Evans inhaled sharply and there came the sound of footsteps as he emerged from behind the desk. The man crouched quite close to Severus and the boy could not help but lift his head a little and look at him. Giving him the most genuine smile Severus had ever seen, Mr Evans asked quietly, "May I have a look at your arm, please?" Without any hesitation, Severus nodded. Though he knew nothing about Mr Evans, other than that he had family and worked in the Pharmacy, he trusted this man. It was a testament to how far one act of kindness could go with a boy like Severus.

With large hands that were more gentle than they seemed, Mr Evans delicately lifted Severus' darkly bruised left arm. But no matter how gentle the man was, it did not prevent him from feeling the pain at his touch. A whimper escaped him and Severus' right hand curled into a fist. He had never liked showing his weaknesses. "How did this happen?" he asked, frowning down at the damaged limb.

"I...I...I fell down the stairs," Severus stammered. It was not the truth, but judging by the way Mr Evan's shoulders stiffened, the man knew quite well it was not. Mr Evans lifted his emerald gaze from Severus' injured arm and the boy felt he was drowning in their depths as they came to rest upon his face. There was a smile in those eyes, even if it did not cross his mouth. In that moment Severus came to the realization that Mr Evans remembered him. He remembered that day in the playground.

Severus had no idea whether he wanted to laugh or cry at the realization. _Someone remembered him_. The very idea that he could have made such an impression as to stick in someone's mind...he could hardly comprehend it. "Can you move your fingers for me, son?" Looking at the green-eyed man in surprise at being addressed thusly, Severus tried to make his fingers move. They just about twitched and pain exploded through his arm, earning another whimper. Mr Evans' briefly rested his hand on Severus' shoulder, before releasing his arm and straightening, towering over him as he stood to his full height. Mr Evans gave Tobias another shrewd look. "I'm afraid this boy needs to go to the Hospital; his arm is broken."

Tobias' bloodshot eyes landed on Severus. The look his father gave him was not a pleasant one, not by far. Swallowing thickly, Severus dropped his gaze and stared at the floor, knowing he was in for it. He knew there was no way his parents could afford to have his arm seen to. "And what would you know, Mr Evans? You're only a pharmacist. You're not a bloody doctor."

"Maybe not," Mr Evans replied, bristling, "but having broken a number of bones in my youth, I think I can tell when someone needs to seek medical attention. Your son needs to be seen to as soon as possible or it will set incorrectly and he will be in agony for the rest of his life." Tobias' lip curled as Mr Evans continued speaking, ignoring the look of offense tarnishing the dark-haired man's face. The green-eyed man gave Tobias an even look. "If it's a matter of expenses, Sir, I'm willing to handle it. In return, your son can work off the debt here in my Pharmacy. We need a sweep and someone with small hands that can reach under the cabinets in the back room."

For several long moments, Tobias Snape and Mr Evans held a staring contest, their jaws clenching with their determination. Finally, Severus' father caved and agreed to Mr Evans' terms. The blonde man smiled down at Severus and then opened the door to the backroom, poking his head around the jamb. "Christopher! I need you to man the desk for a few hours. I have a personal matter to attend to." A few moments later a balding man emerged from the backroom. According to his badge, his name was Christopher Young but his name was quite the opposite of his appearance. "Do you wish to accompany us?" Mr Evans asked of Severus' father, giving him a polite smile.

Tobias snorted. "I've more important things to do than run here and there with the boy." With that, Tobias Snape marched out of the Pharmacy, leaving Severus feeling more secure the further away he went.

"Thank Christ," Mr Evans murmured, shaking his head as he settled his hand lightly on Severus' shoulder. Severus had only barely heard him, but thought nothing of it as the man continued in a louder voice. "Come on, son. Let's get that arm of yours taken care of." Without hesitation, Severus accompanied the green-eyed man out to his car. Seeing the boy's confusion with the seatbelt, Mr Evans helped him strap in before climbing into the driver's seat. The journey passed with rather one-sided conversation as Mr Evans nattered away about random things.

The journey to the Accident and Emergency entrance to the hospital was quick, but the wait to see a Doctor was exceptionally long. Severus was sure it was because of his appearance. Tobias had often said all types of society looked down upon those who were virtually gutter rats. Eventually, Mr Evans' patience snapped and he strode over to a member of staff. Severus remained seated, but he could tell the green-eyed man was having a rather heated argument with them. But it seemed even the hospital staff was no match for Mr Evans' will power.

Severus was then seen to with much grumblings from the hospital staff. They poked and prodded his arm, watching his reactions. Severus thought they were getting a perverse pleasure from his pain. After some time, they used an X-ray Generator on his arm. Mr Evans was kind enough to explain to him what this meant as it was carried, so as not to panic the boy. It was not very long at all until Severus could see the evidence of his broken limb before him, highlighted by the radiation...

To Be Continued.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Four.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Note: I like this chapter. What do you think of it, guys?

Chapter Four: The Art of Deception 

A great many hours after Severus and Mr Evans had arrived at the entrance to the Accident and Emergency, they were released. The green-eyed man was bone-tired and the dark-haired boy was weighed down by the heavy cast on his left arm. His hand resting lightly on Severus' shoulder, Mr Evans guided him through the darkness that had fallen on the car park since the sun had set below the horizon. Severus' stomach started growling loudly just as they reached the man's waiting car.

Chuckling warmly, Mr Evans opened the car door for him and the boy climbed inside. Now that he knew how it worked, Severus did not have much trouble with the seatbelt, strapping himself securely in as Mr Evans settled himself into the driver's seat. "Now, we'll stop for a bite to eat, first and then I'll drop you home, Severus. Is that alright with you?" the green-eyed man asked, looking back at him, a warm smile on his face. Severus offered a timid agreement, his cheeks flushing with slight colour.

He was not used to being treated so kindly. It left him feeling strange and slightly embarrassed. Severus was silent for the journey, resting his head against the rest behind him, feeling the vibrations of the car rippling through him. _What a strange way to travel_, Severus thought. Though he did not get any opportunities to travel himself, he had a theoretical understanding of the Wizarding Methods of travel – the Floo Network and Apparition, mainly. Muggle travel was an interesting study.

Severus was starting to doze off in the backseat, when Mr Evans pulled up to the curb outside a restaurant in the middle of Cokeworth. The man ushered him out of the car and they went inside. They were ushered to a comfortable corner of the restaurant, near the back. There was a rather pretty potted plant located nearby, the pink flowers in bloom, a lovely contrast to the vibrant green of its leaves. The chairs were comfortable, but Severus required an extra cushion in order to reach the table properly.

When they were given their menus, all Severus could do was stare down at it. There were so many choices of foods listed that his mouth started watering at the thought just looking at them, never mind eating them. To think his family were almost starving not too far away from where he was seated. His cheeks tinged with pink once more as he looked at the menu, knowing he would be working off his debts for the foreseeable future. He only hoped that Mr Evans would be as kind an employer as he was a father figure.

Severus was barely able to stammer something coherent when the waitress asked what he would like. In the end, Mr Evans took charge of the situation and ordered a light chicken dish, served with mashed potatoes, vegetables and gravy for the boy. For himself, he ordered a rib-eye steak, with sautéed mushrooms, vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy. Severus was also given the opportunity to enjoy a glass of coca cola, chilled with ice. The cola almost came out his nose when the unfamiliar fizzy quality of it started a bout of hiccups.

An amused smile graced Mr Evans' face as he drank from his own glass of cola. "How have you been, Severus?" he asked, as the boy ate his meal in dribs and drabs, taking his time so he would not upset his stomach. The smile remained, but the look in his emerald eyes was quite serious. Had he been a Wizard, Severus would be convinced the man was using some form of Mind Magic.

"I could be better," Severus admitted quietly, keeping his dark eyes on his dinner plate as he pushed some potatoes around with his fork. He could still feel the blonde man's gaze on him, presumably wondering what might be worse than a broken limb. "I've stumbled on some good luck, though, so I suppose I shouldn't complain very much. Mama taught me to be grateful for what I have, rather than endlessly complain about what I don't."

"Your mother is a very wise woman. There are many people who have to live half of their life spans before that even begins to dawn on them. You have a good head start, son." There was that word again. _Son._ He had never heard anyone address him like that, not with such genuine warmth – and this from a man who had only met him on two occasions! Severus flicked his gaze upwards, only to see the man cutting into his steak, sectioning off a number of pieces so he would not have to do it again too soon.

The man drowned a piece of beef in gravy and popped it into his mouth, savouring it as he chewed. The steak was well-done, but looked tender and juicy. Severus wondered what it tasted like – his family had never been privileged enough to enjoy beef at dinner. The red meats were far too expensive. Eileen often tried to cover it up by saying they just lacked in flavour...but Severus was not a fool, even if he was only seven years old. He was sharper than his parents thought he was, especially Tobias. "So," Mr Evans continued genially, reaching for his glass of cola. "How are you finding school? Are you bored to tears, day in and day out, or are they giving you enough challenges to keep your mind active?"

Severus' cheeks filled with colour and he dropped his gaze back down to his dinner plate. "I'm...ah...not like other children that you know," he informed the man softly. "I won't be attending school until I turn eleven." Had Severus been looking at him, he would have seen that Mr Evans was staring at him, his glass of cola half-way to his mouth. Severus did, however, hear the soft clink as the glass was placed back down on the table. Severus' eyebrows knitted together as he decidedly refrained from looking at the man.

It was clear Mr Evans was not pleased to have heard what Severus told him. Education was obviously something that Mr Evans deemed to be one of the most important in the world. "Am I to assume, then, that your mother is home-schooling you, now? From what I remember of our last encounter, you said your mother worked during the day. Has that changed in recent times?" Severus dragged his eyes upwards, to find Mr Evans gazing at him most intently. The man looked torn between smiling and frowning at him.

Severus shook his head and dropped his gaze once more, taking a quick sip of his cola, trying to hide his embarrassment from this astute man. "I don't get timed lessons, if that's what you mean, but I do learn things at home. I can do sums in my head, up to and including triple digit numbers. I can...cook and recount the many properties of...herbs and other ingredients that I was use when...cooking." Severus was quick to tell the man that he was not stupid...but had to substitute cooking for brewing. Muggles were not allowed to know about Magic.

"Can you read? Can you write? Can you do written sums? Do you know any History, Geography or Science? Those are some of the most important subjects a child should study, you know. They are the foundation of everything you can do in the future, whether it's becoming an engineer or going to archaeological digs or just travelling cross-country."

"I can read...and write...uh...a little, but the rest of it?" Severus flushed with even more colour and shook his head again. Merlin, it was embarrassing speaking to this man. Mr Evans seemed to be set on highlight all of Severus' failings in a matter of a few short moments.

"Well, we'll have to fix that, then, won't we?" Again, there was that warmth lacing Mr Evans' words. It encouraged Severus to look up at him. Mr Evans was smiling softly at him, his emerald eyes sparkling. "Now, we should probably focus on our dinners, so that I can get you home. We wouldn't want your mother to start worrying about you." With that, the two of them concentrated on their plates. When they were finished, Mr Evans declined the dessert menu and paid for what they had enjoyed.

Then, the green-eyed man took him home, pulling up to the curb right outside the house Severus had shown him three years previously. Mr Evans got out of the car and escorted Severus to the front door, since it was so dark. Eileen Snape answered the door almost as soon as Mr Evans knocked upon its surface. The normally stern woman looked half-frantic, at first, and then her gaze fell on her son. "Hello," Mr Evans said brightly, drawing her attention. "Your...husband made an arrangement with me this morning, regarding your son. His arm's been taken care of and in return Severus will work for me at the Pharmacy. It'll be small things for now, since his arm is messed up at the moment, but every little bit helps."

Eileen gave him the slightest smile, her hands coming to rest on Severus' shoulders as the boy embraced her. "Thank you so much, Mr..." she said earnestly.

"Evans," Severus supplied with a quirk of his mouth.

"We'll send him over nice and early tomorrow so you can show him the ropes! I'm sure Severus will be a worthy boy for any tasks you set him"

"Very well," Mr Evans said, inclining his head, "and I'm quite sure he will. I'll see you tomorrow, then, Severus. You take care of yourself, now, alright?" The man reached out and ruffled the boy's hair fondly, earning a curious look from Eileen, but he smiled at her and waved genially before departing. Eileen put Severus to bed soon after, brushing a kiss against his forehead. Tobias was late home that day, knowing he was sure to get an ear lashing from Eileen for having virtually sold Severus into labour.

Severus did not mind very much that Tobias had done so. This would be a great opportunity to spend more time with Mr Evans, whom Severus had spent three years thinking of. It was one thing to fall asleep with the kind man in his thoughts, it was quite another to be able to wake up and know he would see the man again. It left Severus feeling quite happy, which is something he had not felt in such a long time. Even the weight of the cast on his arm could not put a damper on his pleasant feelings.

For the first time in almost forever, Severus slept peacefully through the night, waking only to use the bathroom at three in the morning, before climbing back into bed and succumbing to slumber once more. In the morning, in an attempt to appease his parents, he did as much house chores as he could before breakfast. Breakfast was a quick affair; porridge again and a glass of freshly squeezed orange. Eileen had managed to convince the grocer in Diagon Alley to allow her to pay for a half-dozen of them in instalments.

Severus walked through town, then, at his own brisk pace. He made it to the Pharmacy in good time. The premises were just beginning to open and Severus could see Mr Evans bustling about from some distance away. The mere sight of the man put a skip in his step and a grin on his face. When he finally entered the Pharmacy, Mr Evans became aware of his presence almost instantly. "Good morning, Severus," he greeted, smiling down at him. "Come into the back with me; Christopher will man the desk this morning."

Mr Evans led the way into the backroom, holding the door open for Severus. The man turned the light on, illuminating the dark room. The back room was filled with numerous shelving units, housing an array of medications. There was also a desk and chair that was a good mixture of comfortable and sturdy. Severus noted a number of books, notebooks and writing utensils on the table. Eyeing them curiously for a moment, he turned to face Mr Evans. "What do you want me to do first?"

Mr Evans walked over to the desk and patted the chair invitingly. "I want you to sit here and I want you to start reading these books by Doctor Seuss; they'll help you boost your vocabulary. I'll be around the corner cataloguing our latest shipment of prescription drugs, so if you come across a word you don't know how to pronounce...come and find me and I'll demonstrate it. Every time that happens, I want you to look it up in the Oxford dictionary and learn the definition. Alright?"

Mr Evans did not wait for an answer and turned away. The green-eyed man started to head around the corner of a shelving unit and had almost disappeared out of sight before Severus managed to stammer a reply, quickly gaining confidence as he spoke to the man who had been almost like a hero to him for the past three years. "But...I...th-thought you arranged for me to work for you?! That's what you told my father...and my mama! I thought I was supposed to be sweeping floors and reaching under cabinets."

Mr Evans paused in the middle of Severus' speech and flicked his emerald gaze sideways at him. A smile graced the man's kind mouth. Seeming to have an abundance of patience for Severus, the man came back around the corner and crouched down in front of him, bringing their eyes to roughly the same level. "You might look upon me badly for this, but I don't regret it. I lied to your parents."

"Clearly," Severus replied dryly, an early imitation of his future self. "Why?"

Mr Evans smiled genuinely at him, the warmth filling his emerald eyes. "I have every intention of putting you to work...on the task of educating yourself, with some guidance from me. This was inspired by our conversation over dinner...until then I had every intention of releasing you as soon as you arrived; you could have gone to the playground any time you wished. The plan changed when you told me you weren't being homeschooled – at least, not in the way that a boy of your age needs."

"That explains your lying to Mama...but not my father."

Mr Evans laughed a little, but it was not with good humour. "I knew you were lying in the Pharmacy, yesterday. I knew the moment the words fell from your lips. He hurt you, a great deal and all I'm trying to do is help you. Your father is not one to be proud of – at least, not now. I'm certain he might have been a decent man in the past, but things change. People change." Mr Evans picked up Severus' good hand in both of his, covering the pale skin with warmth. "Consider this an act of subtle revenge."

Severus stared at the man before him, his dark eyes widening with surprise and a slight fear as comprehension of what was happening settled in his mind. "For every minute that miserable excuse for a man thinks his 'worthless' son is being put to work as a virtual slave, you'll be reading, writing, learning, thinking. You'll be getting smarter with each and every day that passes and one day...one day you'll be smarter than the man that sired you. I promise you that, Severus." Mr Evans lightly squeezed Severus' hands between his own.

Severus' lower lip trembled and his cheeks filled with colour. His heart was pounding painfully against his ribcage as Mr Evans spoke earnestly to him, gazing at him as if he were truly someone important. "You deserve to end up a Professor or a Master of something extremely difficult for others and shove it in his face that you're not worthless or useless or any of the things that he may think you are. I want to help you do that. I would _love _to. Will you allow me to do so?" The question was honest and Severus' knew his answer before he gave it to him.

"Yes," Severus said, nodding vigorously, "definitely." Mr Evans beamed at him and straightened. The green-eyed man ruffled Severus' hair fondly and gestured for him to take a seat, which the boy quickly did. "Oh...and one more question," Severus said, just as the man was turning away. "How did you know I was lying...and how did you manage to lie so brilliantly to my parents?"

Mr Evans chuckled. "I have my ways," he said mysteriously. "Maybe I'll teach you them one day, Severus, but for now...for now just focus on your studies like a good lad." With that, Mr Evans disappeared behind the shelving unit. Severus listened for his movements and heard him opening something. The sound of humming reached his ears, followed by the scratch of a pen against paper. His dark eyes glittering with a new found happiness and determination, Severus started working on the tasks Mr Evans had set him.

The boy picked up the first book in front of him, which was entitled _And to Think that I Saw It on Mulberry Street!_ This would be the beginning of many evenings spent curled up with a book in his hands, but Severus was not to know that. He had no idea that the words written on the bound pages of a book could carry such a rare and beautiful magic of their own. He had no idea that, one day, he would look back upon that moment and ask himself how he could have thought it challenging. He had no idea that books would be one of the main loves of his life, for the rest of his life...

To Be Continued.

A/N: We can all relate to that, Sev.

Oh...and feel free to leave me some juicy reviews. They are like chocolate to me ^_^


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Five.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Notes: Thanks for reading guys. There are adult themes in this chapter.

Chapter Five: Domino Effect

Six weeks passed with hardly any incidents to speak of. Severus worked in the backroom at the Pharmacy from morning until early evening, reading, writing, memorizing new words and definitions, learning historical facts that any child his age would be privy to and much more. All of it was possible because of the gentle guidance of Mr Evans, who was kind but firm when correcting mistakes or inaccuracies. By the time he had to go home, Severus would be well and truly exhausted and he would be asleep long before Tobias would return home from his daily ventures – not all of them working ones.

Finally, after much waiting and unbearable itchiness, it was the day Severus could get his cast taken off. Mr Evans was more than willing to take Severus to the Hospital again and did so with a genuine smile. While they waited, Severus read _Five Children and a Dog_ by Renee Reggiani. His reading had improved a great deal since the day Mr Evans had made that deal with Severus' father, though there were, of course, still words that stumped him from time to time. It was a work in progress, but Severus was pleased nonetheless.

This time, the hospital staff saw to them much more quickly than they had the first time Severus had been brought in. Severus was convinced it was only to have him leave sooner, but he was completely fine with that. He did not want to be stuck there any more than they seemed to want him there. As soon as they were finished at the hospital, Mr Evans took him out for lunch; they both enjoyed soup and sandwiches and a glass of orange juice. During lunch, Mr Evans quizzed him thoroughly, until he was satisfied.

Mr Evans beamed at him across the table, earning a hesitant smile from Severus in return. Even after six weeks of working in the backroom at the Pharmacy, he still found it hard to believe that anyone would smile so much around him. He knew he did not have any lingering appeal, like other children his age did, and he also knew that his personality left something to be desired, so he was often confused why Mr Evans often seemed so happy when he was around Severus. If anything, he thought the man would have grown more sullen from continued exposure to a boy like him.

After lunch, Severus was ready to head to the Pharmacy and continue his learning, but Mr Evans stopped his quick approach to the car. "You've done really well these past few weeks, Severus; I think you deserve a break! How about I let you off at the playground and you can explore for a while, before heading home?" Severus was disappointed that he could not read anymore that day, but he did think it would be nice to have time to explore the playground for a while. He had not been there since he was four and he had a feeling it would be a pleasant experience to go there again.

With a word of agreement from Severus, the green-eyed Mr Evans dropped him off at the playground with a few kind words of goodbye and orders to enjoy himself. In silence, Severus passed through the kissing gate, letting himself into the playground. With butterflies building in his abdomen, he let his dark gaze survey the grounds before him. Changes had been made since the last time he had been there. On the other side of the playground, beyond the fence, there had been a number of trees and bushes planted.

They had been allowed to grow how they wanted and now it looked like the beginning of a stretch of woods. Severus walked through the playground, finding himself next to the swing set. He was taller now and could seat himself on the swing with ease; it brought the slightest smile to his thin lips. The nostalgia still burning away in his mind, he settled onto the swing, wrapping his hands securely around the chains. Pushing off the sand with the tip of his foot, he started the hypnotic swinging motion.

His hair swung back and forth like a pendulum on either side of his face. It was an unfortunate distraction, but he forced himself to ignore it. The wind rushed through his hair, past his ears, cool and clean, stinging his cheeks and his nose, but _oh_, how he relished the feeling. He had never really had the chance to experience things like a cool breeze against his skin or the sting of ice on his nose. It was pleasant...at least for a while, until it became irritating as he was forced to stop swinging in an effort to warm up his face with his hands.

He supposed the weather outside was affecting him differently than it would another child, who had have a lot of experience with the varying forms of temperatures that would affect the area. He was certain that Mr Evans' daughter, Lily, would have no problem running around in skirts and short sleeves, if she had been there. Severus rather envied the idea. He had been inside more often than he had been outside and it was typically during the warmer summer months, but not now that September was drawing to a close.

Severus shook his head slightly and ran his hand back through his hair. He was about to start swinging again when he heard a noise. It was the sound of approaching laughter and jeering. Severus paled slightly and took off, slipping past the fence, disappearing into the trees and bushes, and hiding from sight. He had only just had his cast taken off; he did not want to risk another broken bone because he had had the misfortune of stepping onto some gang's turf at the playground.

His heart racing in his chest, Severus peered through the leaves, eyes fixed on the kissing gate. He watched in silence as a girl, with red hair flying behind her like a crimson banner, came hurtling through the kissing gates, her skirts billowing around her. There was a gash on her forehead, blood trickling down her face, staining her cardigan. She looked frightfully familiar and for a moment Severus was unable to name her, but it soon hit him as she turned momentarily in his direction, her emerald eyes shimmering in the sunshine.

Lily.

Mr Evans' daughter.

Severus' breath caught in his throat. _Speak of the devil_, he thought, his eyes widening at the sight before him. She was being chased by a group of boys and girls that were all roughly the same age as Severus was, give or take a year. The crowd were laughing and jeering at her, cruel expressions on their faces. A part of him hoped they would leave her alone, but another bigger part of him hoped the girl would not lead them in Severus' direction. He did not want to get involved; this was not his fight.

One of the boys in the group – a short, chubby one – threw a rock, hard and fast, and Lily shrieked as she dived to the ground, in order to get out of the way. She had clearly heard the movement of air as it came at her. The rock hit the ground, a mere inch or two away from her head, with a hard thud, before it bounced away. "You'll get yours, Peter!" Lily yelled, fear and anger lacing her voice, as she pushed up from the ground. She picked up the rock, spun around and hurled it as hard as she could.

Her accuracy surprised Severus, for it collided hard with the chubby boy's shoulder, knocking him flat on his arse with a shocked and pained exclamation. "She used her powers to make that rock hit me! Just look at her arms; she's a weakling," he cried, his watery blue eyes – quite similar to those of a rat – narrowing wickedly. Severus blinked, his breath escaping him in a rush. Lily was a Witch?! Why did Mr Evans never say so? Then it hit him; Mr Evans was a Muggle. The man more than likely thought his daughter was just exceedingly gifted. What would a Muggle know of Magic, after all?

Lily took off, hair whipping around her as she turned away from her pursuers. She was headed right for Severus' hiding place. Paling even further, Severus let out a curse and moved off quickly to the side, throwing himself behind a tree just in time. The girl tore through the wooded area, her hair miraculously avoiding any and all branches, brambles and leaves that might have ensnared it. Or...perhaps not so miraculously if she was indeed a Witch. Only time would tell, Severus supposed.

The group of children followed her, the chubby boy, Peter, at the back of the group. Smirking wickedly, Severus thrust his foot out and tripped the boy. With a loud cry, Peter fell forward and collided with the backs of the boy and girl ahead of him. They, too, fell and knocked into the ones in front of them. Like dominoes, their group continued to fall until there was a large pile of angry kids in between the trees, their hair caught in brambles. Severus looked around for Lily, but the girl had been clever enough to do a run around and was now fleeing back out of the playground, grinning like a fool.

Severus' heart tightened a little at the sight of her please, but he beat it down with an internal stick and focused on what surrounded him. While they were still a confused pile, he took the opportunity to slip out from behind the tree and take off. He sprinted from the playground to his home at Spinner's End, a feeling of smug satisfaction settling within him even as his heart pounded in his chest and his lungs fought for breath as he fled. He was utterly breathless when he reached home, but that did not stop the silly little smile from crossing his face as he rested his forehead against the front door.

Could it really be possible that he had found someone like him? Could Lily Evans really be a Witch? A giddy sensation rippled through him at the thought of making friends with her, of having someone he could relate to, even if she was a Muggleborn. He could tell her things...teach her about their world, before they got their letters. It would give her a good head start compared to the other Muggleborns who would get their letters from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

As soon as Severus caught his breath, he opened the front door and slipped inside, shutting it after him. Smiling, he dashed into the kitchen, to find his mother brewing a number of Potions in three separate cauldrons. She glanced up through the steam at him, her expression momentarily stern before a small smile graced her mouth. "What's put you in such a good mood? And why are you home so early?" Her nose had never seemed so much like a beak as it had in that moment. Severus found himself wondering if his own nose would look like that one day.

He held up his arm and waved it around a bit, showcasing his lack of cast. "Mr Evans said that since I've been working so hard these past few weeks, he'd let me have the afternoon off, to enjoy my newly healed arm." Eileen's smile broadened slightly and her eyes glittered. Severus knew the woman was extremely pleased, though her expression of happiness was never extreme. "Also, I think I might have found a Witch my age. Her name's Lily; she's Mr Evans' daughter. I saw her in the playground on the way home. She was running away from some kids, one of them claiming she was using her powers."

Eileen stared at her son, the potions in front of her seemingly forgotten. There was something strange in her eyes that Severus could not decipher, but it disappeared when she seemed to remember her potions, stirring each of them several times. "I wouldn't advise seeking her out, Severus," she said quietly. Severus' eyebrows rose, disappearing into his hairline, with the strength of his surprise. "The Wizarding World won't be a friendly place for those like her and it won't be for you either, if you decide to befriend her. It's bad enough as it is that you have a Muggle for a father."

"But I –"

Eileen Snape slammed her stirring rod down upon the kitchen table, her hands curling into fists as she glared at him through the fumes from the potions. Severus took a frightened step backwards; he had never seen his mother act like this – not towards him, at any rate. "I said, no, Severus! I am your mother and you will do as I say; it may not seem like it, but trust me when I tell you that I know what's best for you. When you come of age at seventeen, feel free to override anything I ask of you now, but until then..." Eileen let out a breath, her expression softening. "Until then, honour my wishes, _please_."

Severus crossed his arms across his chest and hung his head, glaring at the floor in anger. Lily was the first person Severus had felt he had the chance of being friends with and his mother would rather him have no one at all. The truth hurt something terribly and something suspiciously like tears stung his eyes. He blinked them away, however. He did not say anything to her that would constitute as a positive or negative answer; he just shrugged at his mother and marched out of the kitchen, slipping upstairs in sullen silence.

In a fit of anger, he went into his parents' room and took a hold of the lamp at his father's bedside. His face contorting in anger, he hurled it at the wall, watching in grim satisfaction as it shattered, the shards flying across the room. Glaring, he marched out of the room once more and disappeared into his own bedroom, slamming the door shut. He stomped across his room and threw himself onto his bed, burying his face in his pillow. He opened his mouth and let out a scream of intense anger, which was, thankfully, muffled by the pillow beneath his head.

Severus screamed himself into exhaustion, falling into a deep slumber, gripping the pillow beneath his head with both hands. He might have slept through the night had Tobias Snape not come home and found his lamp in pieces on his bedroom floor. Severus was rudely wakened when Tobias hauled him from the bed, throwing him down upon the hard wooden floor with a snarl of unveiled rage. "How dare you?" Tobias demanded of him, towering over him. "How dare you treat my property with such disrespect?"

"I gave it as much respect as _you_ deserve!" Severus snapped, feeling the tiniest bit of courage as he glared contemptuously up at his father, giving the man a hard kick in the shin. The man inhaled sharply, flinching backwards briefly before Tobias' nostrils flared with his fury and then, with jerky movements filled with anger, the man began pulling off his belt. Severus scrambled to get away from his father, but Tobias caught a hold of him, shoving him down onto his belly on the floor, planting his heavy booted-foot upon Severus' rump.

"That's two sins you've committed today, boy," the man growled darkly, even as Severus struggled to wriggle free. Tobias pressed down harder, earning a pained whimper. "Vandalism and disrespecting your father – that's easily worth twenty lashes!" Severus let out a sound of fear, which turned into a yell of pain as Tobias brought the belt through the air, like a whip, onto his back. It stung his flesh something horrible, but Severus closed his eyes tightly against the pain and refrained from making anymore sound until the ordeal came to an end.

With each lash of the belt, it became even more of a struggle to remain quiet. At first, his skin had merely been reddened from the blows, but now the tender skin was splitting upon impact. Blood was surging up from the wounds, soaking into his frayed shirt, causing the fabric to cling to him. He knew it would hurt terribly to remove the garment later, but there was little he could do except to clench his teeth tightly and brace himself against the intense pain being inflicted upon him.

When, at last, Tobias dealt him the twentieth lash and disappeared through the door, slamming it shut behind him, Severus allowed himself to give into his weakness. Tears, hot and wet, spilled down his cheeks as he lay there, alone in his room, his body riddled with pain. A choked sob escaped him, but he forced himself to get up from the floor, to make his way over to the bed. He could not heal his back and he dared not leave the room, in case Tobias found him and decided to punish him further.

There was little that he could do, at all, but to climb into bed. His sheets were scratchy, so he knew it was best to leave his shirt on while he slept, but he knew it would cling to the wounds while he slept and they would rip open once more in the morning. But...at least then he might be able to get his mother to help heal the wounds, even if it was just to spread a salve over them. He did not care if they scarred, but he did not want to suffer the pain of them for too long after a night's sleep.

With a resigned sigh, he climbed into bed, lying on his stomach, struggling to pull his blanket up without stressing the wounds on his back...

To Be Continued..


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Blue October, Volume One, Chapter Six.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Note: Again, this chapter has ADULT themes in it. **RIP to those poor people in Connecticut and China who were shot and stabbed today**. :'(

Chapter Six: Unpleasant Encounters

Though Severus made a habit of visiting the playground after his daily studying at the Pharmacy, he did not chance upon a sighting of Lily Evans again. The thought that the gang of cruel children might have caught up with her and hurt her some more left him with a heavy feeling in his abdomen and he felt it was almost his duty to find her again, to ask her if she was alright. Going home in the evenings made him feel guilty, especially when he looked at his mother, but he told himself that it was not an act of defiance, since friendship was not on the table at the moment.

He tried not to think about his brief sighting of Lily too often, but it was rather difficult. Remembering the incident left him quite breathless, knowing that even though it had been seven against one, she had put up a fight where possible. She was like a lioness, sleek and beautiful and apparently clever. Part of him wished he could be like her...but the rest of him just wanted the chance to be a friend to her. He wanted to offer an olive branch, to be the person who showed her an act of kindness.

Severus knew very well that people often remembered kindness as clearly as they remembered the cruelty shown to them. While his personality left much to be desired, he did have the capacity for kindness, even if he kept that knowledge to himself more often than not. With a sigh, the boy shook his head in an effort to clear his muddled thoughts and refocused upon the writing exercise Mr Evans had given; a page-long essay about the Second World War. While he did not find Muggle History that interesting, he was amused by the notion that the Second World War had such close links with the Wizarding World.

The Muggles had no idea that Adolf Hitler had not shot himself to avoid execution for war crimes, but because upon the defeat of Gellert Grindelwald in nineteen-forty-five the _Imperius Curse_ that had been in place had lifted. When faced with the crushing reality and horror of what he had done while under the control of another, Hitler had taken his own life. Being inherently weak-minded, the man had been an easy target for Grindelwald in the thirties, before the war had truly begun.

Of course, Severus could never mention any of that in his essay, nor could he speak of it to Mr Evans. It would be a horrible breach of the Statute of Secrecy and might land his family with a heavy fine, which he knew they would never be able to afford to pay. Thus it was with mild irritation that Severus wrote about the more boring aspects of the war – the aspects that were entirely Muggle-related. The backroom of the Pharmacy was silent, but for the scratch of his pencil against the paper of a notebook.

As soon as he was finished the essay, he moved onto his next assignment; a study of the different types of rocks and soils. This was an even duller avenue for study than the Second World War had been, but he forced himself to concentrate on it. He did not want to disappoint Mr Evans, who constantly spoke of how learned Severus would be in years to come. It put a great weight upon Severus' shoulders, but he was grateful for that. He had something to drive him onwards, something to prove to not only his family, but everyone.

He took small breaks after every hour and a half that passed, in order to stretch out the muscles in his legs and give his mind a break from all the study. During these breaks, he would pace around the backroom, eyeing all the different medicines available at the Pharmacy until he was ready to continue learning. Depending on what his assignments were, he could be either bored stiff while learning or he could be entirely engaged in the task, interested in ways that he could never explain.

But Severus supposed he was just the same as any other child in that matter, as much as he wished that were different. He did not like being the same as other children; he would prefer to be similar, but unique in his own way. He wondered if that would come when he would go to school at the age of eleven. There was bound to be a large amount of diversity between students, what with four houses and so many unique subjects that could be studied within the distinguished halls of Hogwarts.

Severus knew he would find out one day, but that day seemed so far away to him. He was not going to hold his breath, just in case he did not receive his Hogwarts letter the year he would turn eleven – or if he did receive it but his father declined the acceptance on his behalf. That was too painful a scenario for young Severus to bear, his mind flinching away from the thought almost as soon as it had formed in his head. He could not imagine living through a future where he did not escape to Hogwarts, did not escape his father.

It was approaching the closing time of the Pharmacy when Severus was finally finished all of his studies for that day. He was glad; his brain was almost completely fried from the amount of study he had done. Tidying up his books and pencils, he took his current notebook and headed towards the front of the Pharmacy, where he knew Mr Evans would be closing up soon. He wanted to give the man his essay before he left; Mr Evans liked to read through them and correct them for mistakes, regarding content, grammar and spelling.

He reached for the handle of the door leading out of the backroom, but even as he did so it opened from the other side. Someone with a mop of blonde hair came barrelling through the door, not looking where they were going as they called over their shoulder. "I'll be right out with the sweeping brush, Dad!" Before Severus had a chance to say or do anything, the girl – for it clearly was a girl – collided with him roughly. The force of it sent them both sprawling backwards, lying spread-eagled on the floor.

Severus let out a low groan of pain. The back of his head was throbbing somewhat painfully and stars were dancing in front of his eyes. It seemed something similar had happened to the girl, for she was remaining on the ground as well, whimpering in pain. By the time Severus started struggling to pick himself up off the floor, even though the world was spinning horribly, Mr Evans had made his way over, concern evident in his eyes and on his face. The girl who had knocked into him was now pulling herself up from the ground as well.

"What in the blazes was that?" she demanded, clutching the back of her head with her hand. The girl could not have been much older than nine, with a thick head of blonde hair – much like Mr Evans' – and brown eyes, which narrowed coldly when her gaze fell upon Severus. "Who are you?! What are you doing in the backroom?! Don't you ever watch where you're going?!" The questions came faster than Severus could understand them; his head was so out of the loop of reality at that moment.

Mr Evans was, at this point in time, helping the blonde girl to her feet. With gentle hands, he dusted off the back of her dress, before resting them lightly upon her shoulders. The girl's dress was a crisp cotton shift with a ruffled front and a white collar and cuffs. The shift had a floral pattern; dozes of tiny flowers covered the deep blue fabric. Her long slender legs were clad in white stocks that stopped just beneath her knees and she had black shoes upon her feet. "Give him a moment to get his head in order, Tuney," Mr Evans said, squeezing the girl's shoulders warmly.

"Snape," Severus finally managed to answer when his head cleared a little. Pushing a lock of hair back behind his ear, he continued more confidently. "Severus Snape and I'm here on Mr Evans' orders and for your information, it was not _I _who wasn't watching where I was going. Next time, when you open a door, check to see what's in front of you, you silly girl."

"How was I to know some straggly gutter rat had invaded my Dad's Pharmacy?" The girl, Tuney, asked of him. While she looked more like her father than Lily did, the older girl had not inherited his kind disposition. She was clearly indignant, judging by the curl of her mouth and the knitting of her eyebrows, but the disgust in her voice was also rather evident. Severus' cheeks flushed with colour at the slight, his dark eyes narrowing hatefully. It was not his fault his family was not as well off as that of Mr Evans.

A vein pulsed in Severus' forehead and his hands curled into fists at his sides. He opened his mouth to make a retort against her cruel question, but stopped, jumping backwards in surprise when a container full of tablets flew off one of the shelves and hit Tuney in the face. Tuney let out a yell of pain and shock, her hands rising to cover her eye and nose. Mr Evans, quite surprised himself, looked from the shelf where the container of medicine had come from, some distance away, to Severus.

Mr Evans eyed him contemplatively, but Severus could not tell if he was angry or not. "That brat made that thing hit me!" Tuney said, her voice raising in pitch the more words she voiced. She lowered her hands and glared at him through a red and puffy eye, water streaming down her pink-hued cheek. Severus ducked his head, his dark falling forward to frame his face as his cheeks coloured with shame. He knew that it was his fault the girl had been hurt, but underage Witches and Wizards often had trouble controlling their magic when they were emotionally unstable.

"It was an accident," Mr Evans said slowly, though his tone was quite serious. "Severus didn't touch it." This caused Severus to look up in surprise. Mr Evans was still gazing at him, something indecipherable burning in his emerald eyes. Severus did not know whether it made him feel happy or nervous; both feelings were so similar for him, especially when they caused butterflies to flutter about in his abdomen.

"It wasn't an accident, Dad," Tuney bit out, grinding her teeth together as her lips curled with the power of her righteous anger. She looked like an enraged dog, pulling at its chain to try to get at a cat that had scratched her. She turned towards her father, her hands on her hips. "He made it fly across the room, just like Lily did with her copy of The Hobbit a few months ago! How else did the blasted thing manage to move so far away from the shelf?! I'm not a fool; don't treat me like one!"

"Tuney," Mr Evans said warningly, glancing at Severus as if he were afraid he might cause something else to move. Severus bit the inside of his cheek and glanced off to the side, shoving his hands inside the pockets of his exceedingly worn trousers. "Severus, your notebook is on the floor behind you; pick it up, please." It was a not-so subtle change of subjects, which quite clearly infuriated Tuney to the point where she stormed out of the backroom, her original purpose forgotten, and filled Severus with boundless relief.

Severus picked up the notebook and held it out to Mr Evans, keeping his eyes on the floor as he did so. Mr Evans took it without another word and turned away, heading after his daughter. Severus, his cheeks still tinged with a blush of shame, left the backroom. He crossed the Pharmacy quickly, disappearing out the door before Tuney, Mr Evans or Young could say anything to him. With his head down and his hands in his pockets, he took his time walking home, knowing very well there would be an envelope arriving at his home soon, sent by the Ministry.

Whenever Witches and Wizards, who had never attended Hogwarts, used Magic in public – even by accident – the Ministry would always send a letter. In the letter, they ask the parents to keep a closer eye on their charges...as well as a firmer hand. Severus knew that he was only delaying the inevitable by taking his time, but he could not find it in him to hurry home, knowing he was in for a good scolding from his mother and a harsh clout from his father. More than a clout, in fact.

Tobias Snape considered the use of Magic a sin; one of the most condemning sins imaginable, in his eyes. What Severus had done, even though it had been unintentional, would be worth forty lashes of his belt, at least. He was, of course, reluctant to suffer through so many lashes of Tobias' belt for something as trivial as an accidental usage of a _Summoning_ and _Banishing Charm_, but he knew that he would have to, eventually. He could not avoid going home indefinitely; he would not survive the entire night if he stayed away.

At least, if he went home and faced Tobias' belt, he could be assured that he would make it to tomorrow. He wanted to make it to tomorrow's lessons in the backroom. Mr Evans was going to bring him another book in the morning, so that he could expand his vocabulary again. He always loved reading the fiction books that Mr Evans supplied for him. They took him to places in his head, taught him things that would take years to learn if they were not wrapped up in a pleasant tale for children to read.

Severus shook his head and sighed, the weight of the world seeming to settle upon his shoulders. Thinking of all the different kinds of books he could read in the future, he picked up his pace, heading home with more haste. The sooner he received his lashings, the sooner it would be over and he would be allowed to heal. They would scar, of course; the lash marks were the one thing that Tobias did not allow Eileen to heal with her Potions and Charms. They would always be there to remind him of his transgressions.

Just like the scars within his mind.

When Severus arrived home, he knew immediately that his parents were waiting for him. Eileen was standing just inside the front door, arms folded across her chest, her stirring rod resting against her shoulder. It was clear that the arrival of the Ministerial letter had put a stop to her brewing for the day. Tobias was some distance behind her, letter clenched in his fist. Severus swallowed thickly and ducked his head, his hair falling forward to cast his face in shadow. He could not bear to see the look of disappointment in his mother's eyes.

He normally had a large amount of control over his magic. Eileen had spent the last two years teaching him how to control his emotions so that they would not get the better of him, but this time...this time the words Tuney that had spat at him had been too hard for Severus to bear with any measure of calm. As soon as he had crossed the threshold, Eileen took his arm in a firm grasp and led him upstairs to his bedroom, where in a stern voice she scolded him for forgetting everything she had taught him about controlling his magic by controlling his emotions.

He kept his head down the entire time and he knew, just by looking at him, that he really did regret his loss of control. Afterwards, Eileen hugged him tightly, resting her head against his, before leaving his bedroom with a miserable expression. She knew, just as he did, that there would be no stopping Tobias, no matter how repentant Severus was for what had happened at the Pharmacy. Staying in the room with him would only make Severus feel worse when Tobias eventually got down to business.

When Tobias arrived in the room, belt already in hand, Severus had to squash his fears, hatred and many other emotions. Instead, Severus started taking off his jacket and shirt. He turned around and braced himself against the wardrobe. Fixating his dark gaze upon the floor, Severus waited for the punishment to begin and when it did he squeezed his eyes shut, clenched his jaw and dug his fingers into the wood. He had no doubt that the wooden surface would be covered in scratches and gouges from the reflexive action of gripping and releasing with every lash of the belt upon his back.

Severus tried to keep count, but the increasing agony that came with each lash drove the notion of counting out of his mind. All he could think of was the burning pain running down the length of his back and the warm flood of blood down his skin, seeping into the fabric of his trousers and his underpants. When Tobias finally finished with him, he left Severus to crumble in a heap on the floor, gripping the wardrobe as if letting would surely mean his death. Severus rested his forehead against the cool wood and let out the smallest prayer, though he had never had much store in praying.

He prayed that one day, in the future, he could escape this place, this torment...

To Be Continued.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Seven.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Note: On with this chapter, this magical number 7. Some content of this chapter will be familiar, because I'm wrapping this story around the scenes that were shown to us in the books, so I did take direct quotes (namely dialogue) from The Prince's Tale, though I did make some changes. There'll also be some actions and feelings that weren't mentioned in the book, which I decided to add. I don't own the content from the books, nor am I making a profit. Don't sue me, please.

Chapter Seven: Time Flies, Temperatures Rise

Severus did not see hide or hair of Lily or Tuney Evans for the two years that followed that unpleasant encounter with the girl in the Pharmacy – quite a long time by his reckoning, but it had flown because of the hours he had spent at the Pharmacy with Mr Evans. He was both relieved and disgruntled by this knowledge. He did not want to encounter Tuney again, but Lily was quite another story. He wanted to meet her again, but he was not fortunate enough to do so. Luck seemed to be constantly going against him in that regard. He wondered how much the girl had changed over the course of those two years.

Severus, himself, had changed quite a bit during those twenty-four months. His nose was more prominent now and slightly bent from a botched healing after Tobias had slammed his face down on the kitchen table for talking back to him last winter. His hair was longer, coming down to brush against his shoulders. Eileen would have to try to cut it soon, since they could not afford to take him to a barber. Due to the intake of nutrients when he would eat lunch with Mr Evans, he had also stretched like a weed – the only problem was that he did not get enough food the rest of the time, for his body to fill out properly.

The dark-haired boy could not help but stand in front of a mirror, some mornings, and glower at his reflection. He could not stand the pasty colour of his skin, the lifeless quality of his hair, the way his ribs were visible. The only feature he vaguely favoured about himself was his eyes, but they could never distract anyone from the rest of him...at least, not while he was still a nine year old boy. Perhaps, one day, he could put so much life in his eyes that the rest of him would be forgotten.

That day would be a long time in coming, however. For now, Severus would have to make do with the way he was now. Sighing in frustration, he left Spinner's End, shutting the front door with the slightest hint of a temper. As the months passed, he had grown more moody whenever he had to spend time at home. To avoid an altercation, he figured it would be best to vent his frustration at the playground. It was a lovely day outside and Mr Evans had given him the day off. He did not know whether he was pleased or disappointed about that.

He loved learning and reading books, but he had also been hoping to spend a day in the sunshine. He supposed he would just have to make the most of it and thank Mr Evans for letting him have the day off the next time he saw him. Stuffing his hands into the holey pockets of his jeans, Severus walked over to the playground, head down and shoulders slightly hunched, so that he could avoid looking at people. He hated walking passed people; they would always look at him as if he were some sort of cockroach or slug or any other vile thing they would have no problem standing on.

Their looks were especially nasty when they noticed his clothes and that day would be no different. He had been forced to wear jeans that were too short, a smock-like shirt and a shabby large coat that used to belong to his father. His clothes were despicable and people would naturally assume that he was despicable, just because he happened to be wearing them at the time. Merlin, he did not know why people had to be so judgemental; it was not as though he could control how many times he got new clothes. He could only get them when his parents could afford them, which was hardly ever.

When he neared the playground, he was forced to stop in his tracks. Lily and her elder sister were passing through the kissing gate. Severus' abdomen filled with the butterflies of discomfort. While he wanted to enjoy the day in the playground, he did not want to be seen by Tuney. The girl would only belittle him, just like she had that day in the Pharmacy. It would be worse, now, though, because of the incident with the medicine. It was pretty clear she did not like it when others used magic, even if it was by accident.

Standing there for a moment, he quickly came to a decision. He moved away from the playground, slipping down a side street, manouevering his way around to the other side. He moved through the copse of trees and briars, careful not to get himself snagged on them, coming close to the fence, but remaining in the shadows. He watched the way the two girls interacted and felt a pang of jealousy. Part of him wished that he had a sibling, to share the warmth of the sun with and the love of books with...but another part of him was glad he did not. He was glad he was the only child suffering at Tobias' hands.

A smile slowly spread across Lily's rather pretty face as Tuney chased her around the playground. They were laughing and shouting back and forth at each other. It looked as if they were having...fun. Severus found himself wondering what that felt like. He did not really count reading and learning and writing as fun, though it was often enjoyable. It was a rather different breed of enjoyment, he thought. Lily's green eyes – so much like her father's that it took Severus' breath away – were sparkling with joy.

The two girls played tag for some time, before finally slowing down, their chests heaving and their faces flushed from the exertion. Still laughing, Lily made her way over to the swing and sat down, clutching the chains tightly. She looked at Tuney expectantly and the blonde girl snorted in amusement, shaking her head fractionally. "You're not four anymore, Lily; you can move the swing by yourself!" Lily looked back over her shoulder and Severus saw the briefest flash of a pout, before a winning smile took over as Tuney finally caved to the auburn-haired girl's wishes.

Severus watched, an amused smirk playing across his thin lips, as Tuney pandered to her younger sister's simple desires. The blonde girl seemed such a marshmallow, when it came to her younger sibling. Severus supposed that was the result of love. He could not imagine being such a person, himself, however. The thought was absolutely ridiculous. He would never condone being walked over by a girl – especially if she were younger than him, like Lily was, compared to Tuney.

Eventually, her arms getting tired, Tuney gave up pushing the swing for Lily, but it hardly mattered at that point. Now that the ball was rolling, Lily had no problem swinging to her heart's content and did not really care what her older sister decided to do to amuse herself. The girl leaned her head back as a serene smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. As she swung through the air, Lily's red hair fanned out behind her like a brilliant banner of fire. Watching her, Severus wondered if Tuney was envious of her sister's natural beauty.

Eventually, Tuney joined her sister on the swing set. She must have regained some of her energy by now. With renewed vigour, Tuney sat down, took hold of the chains and kicked away from the ground, easing into a good swing. It was not long at all until the two sisters were both swinging at the same pace, hitting the same height, their hair fanning out behind them. It quickly became a competition, but Lily seemed incapable of keeping it friendly as she drove her swing higher and higher, hurtling past her sister at alarming speeds.

Severus realized what Lily was going to do at the same moment that Tuney did. His abdomen tightened in a split second and he briefly wondered if the girl was going to use magic, but he had little time to think about it. "Lily," cried the elder girl, "don't do it!" It was clear that Tuney, however much she disliked the use of Magic against her, loved her sister dearly and was extremely concerned in that moment. Severus had a fleeting day-dream of what it would be like to have someone care about him that much.

Laughing exuberantly, Lily ignored her sibling's admonition and leapt off the swing, launching herself into the air. She went far too high and lingered far too long, her hair and skirts flaring around her. When she landed upon the ground, there was no stumble; there was no spraining of her ankle. She landed with the grace of a ballerina, as if she had barely moved off the ground, let alone fall from at least eleven feet in the air. There was a smile of pure delight on the girl's face.

"Mummy told you not to!" Tuney exclaimed, digging the heels of her sandals into the ground, forcing the swing to a stop. The blonde girl launched herself off the swing, coming to stand not too far away from Lily, her hands on her hips. Tuney was as much her mother's daughter as Lily would be one day, with that single gesture. "Mummy said you weren't allowed, Lily!" It was quite obvious that the girl had more to say, but Lily – seemingly stubborn girl that she was – would have absolutely none of it.

"But I'm fine," the red-haired girl said sharply, though another giggle did bubble up from her. She bent down and picked up a flower that had drifted over on a breeze – it had clearly fallen from the tree beside which Severus was standing. The blonde looked around surreptitiously as Lily continued speaking to her. "Tuney," she said, holding her hand out towards her older sister, "look at this. Watch what I can do!" It was clear the green-eyed girl was endlessly excited about what she was going to show her sister and it left Severus with little doubt that she was a Witch. A talented one, he would wager.

His gaze sharpening, Severus watched intently as Tuney came even closer to her sister, eyeing Lily's open palm with modicum of trepidation. But she was also inherently curious, if she was to be judged by the lively spark in her brown eyes. Tuney peered closer and then suddenly recoiled. "Stop it," the girl cried in fright, taking a step backwards. That was when Severus noticed it; the petals of the flower were opening and closing. It looked both bizarre and magnificent. The girl had such control over the action! It was really quite wonderful; Severus could tell she would be brilliant at Hogwarts.

A soft sigh of disappointment could be heard. "It's not hurting you," Lily said, a tinge of sadness clinging to her words. She had obviously been hoping her sister would accept her gift. She closed her hand around the flower – Severus thought she meant to crush it against her palm, but instead she released it and it fluttered down to the ground at her feet.

"It's not right," Tuney snapped, making the sign of the cross with a quick gesture of her hand. Severus almost laughed at the sight. _As if something so ridiculous could ward off magic_, he thought, amusement rolling off him. The blonde girl eyed the flower on the ground for a moment, glanced around briefly, and looked down at it again. "How did you do it?" she asked after a long moment. There was definitely a hint of longing in her voice. _Ha_, Severus thought with a grin, _the girl's jealous! And so she should be!_

"Isn't it obvious?" Severus asked, stepping through the fence, unable to contain himself. It was such a golden opportunity to speak to another magical child his age; he simply could not pass it up. Tuney let out a shout of surprise and backpedalled towards the swings in record time. Severus did not mind; she was a mean-spirited girl when it came to him. Lily whirled around and her eyes landed upon him. She was startled, but she was not frightened enough to flee from him. She really had no reason to be afraid of him. Disturbed, yes, but not frightened.

Severus flushed under the intensity of her gaze. It was clear she was taking in everything about him. He was certain she would soon write him off as a vagabond. It was what everyone did – he doubted she would be much different, but he had to try. If he tried and failed to strike the beginnings of a friendship with this girl, then he could settle back into his solitude without having known the benefits of having a friend. But there was always a chance, even if it was extremely slim. He held onto that chance.

"What's obvious?" Lily asked, one brow rising towards her hairline as if by its own volition.

Severus swallowed nervously and glanced towards her sister, before bringing his dark gaze right back to the auburn-haired girl in front of him. He leaned forward slightly on the balls of his feet and lowered his voice conspiratorially. "I know what you are," he told her eagerly.

"What do you mean?" the green-eyed girl demanded, her shoulders tensing, though, facially, she seemed almost as eager as he was.

"You're..." he began, the word coming out high-pitched due to his nerves. He coughed to clear his throat and tried again. "You're a witch," he finished in a rather pleasant tone, gracing the girl with a closed-mouth smile, in the hopes that she would see his sincerity regarding the whole matter.

Lily recoiled away from him, her face contorting as she took umbrage to his remark. Severus' stomach fell and his heart pounded furiously against his ribcage. He had approached the topic horribly and regretted not thinking it through immediately. "_That's_ not a very nice thing to say to somebody!" With her nose held indignantly in the air, Lily turned away and stormed off, heading towards the swing set, where her sister was waiting for her, eyebrows knitting together with an emotion that was half-concern and half-anger.

"No," Severus said earnestly, hurrying after her, his blush darkening with the power of his embarrassment. The clothes he was wearing did not make him look any better when he moved faster. In fact, they made him look even more horrendous. The sight was no doubt comical to the two girls before him, but they had the good grace not to laugh at that moment. "I'm being quite serious! You _are_," he said to her as she gripped the swing pole, glowering at him as he continued to come closer. "You _are_ a Witch."

He swallowed thickly and pointed over to where he had been standing earlier. "I arrived at the playground not too long after you did, by some luck, but I made sure you didn't notice me because I wanted to think about how to approach you. I...I've been watching you for a while – not on purpose, I mean. The first time was by accident, too. I was in the playground that day, two years ago, when those kids were chasing you...you hit that Peter boy in the shoulder with a rock, but your aim was excellent! I thought...I thought you did it with the help of magic."

Lily and Tuney stared at him, stunned into silence. Severus continued, pleased by their silence because it meant he would have free reign...at least for a little while. "You most definitely are a Witch." At the sound of the offensive word, the two girls started to get angry again, but he quickly went on, holding his hand up briefly. "But there's nothing wrong with that. My mum's one...and I'm a Wizard." He said this last part with a swell of pride, his thin chest puffing out marginally with the strength of his pride as he raised his head, jutting his chin out slightly.

Tuney let out a sudden bark of laughter, the sound of it landing on Severus like a large bucket, filled to the brim with ice cold water. It deflated his pride and wounded him quite seriously. "Wizard," the girl yelled, having quickly recovered from her shock. Severus took a number of steps away from her as she raised her arm, pointing viciously at him, stabbing the air with every word of her next sentence. "_I_ know who _you_ are, Severus!" She definitely remembered him from that day at the Pharmacy and still held a grudge, clearly.

"You're that Snape boy who lives down Spinner's End, by the river." Her tone was evidence that she considered the address to be an abysmal excuse for domestic accommodation. "Now, you answer me this or so help me, I will kick you back to where you came from, gutter rat! Why have you been spying on us?"

Severus glared at her and, though it was not quite the sinister one he would have in years to come, it was not something to be overlooked. "I haven't been spying," he retorted sharply, though hints of discomfort laced his words. He was growing exceptionally hot under the collar under her verbal assault. But she clearly had not been listening to his earlier words and, if he was honest, he was not the least bit surprised by that notion. "And I wouldn't spy on _you_, anyway," he added spitefully as anger slowly began to take over. "_You're_ a Muggle!"

Being so ordinary, Tuney would have no idea what the word was, but his tone left little room for doubt. He meant it as an insult, but normally he would not use it as one. The blonde grabbed Lily's arm in a vice-like grip. "Lily, come on, we're leaving!" Her words were shrill, but the anger and pain in her voice were obvious. Lily threw him a dirty look over her shoulder as the two of them marched away and Severus found himself torn between guilt and satisfaction. The moment had not gone as planned but he blamed it on Tuney's presence...

To Be Continued.

Feel free to leave reviws, guys! I feast on them ^_^ Om nom


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Eight.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Notes: And so Severus' journey continues on from that fateful day.

Chapter Eight: Testing Waters

A week and a half after his abysmal approach of Lily Evans, Severus found himself sitting at the desk in the backroom of the Pharmacy again, hunched over his notebook and geography textbook, his lifeless hair falling forward to cast shadows across his face. Mr Evans had set him a number of essays that morning, but it was approaching closing time and he had still not finished the first on the list. His concentration had been lacking these past few days and his mentor had noticed.

Piling essay after essay on to Severus' workload had been Mr Evans' way of encouraging him to get his head focused. If he ploughed through the essays Mr Evans had set him, the workload would then ease up and he could relax. The method, however, was not working. Not only was he incapable of thinking of anything but his botched attempt at forging a friendship, the stress of having to get so much work done in so little time had tensed all of his muscles and made him irritable.

Severus and stress were not friends. In fact, he could not even be generous enough to say they were grudging allies. Stress was his enemy as far as he was concerned. It was all well and good if one found ways to relieve stress, but the one thing that would calm him down was back at Spinner's End, waiting for when he had some free time. With five minutes left until closing time, his pencil snapped in his hand. A growl of anger forced its way passed his tightening throat and he flung the broken pieces across the room in a fit of frustration.

He picked up his notebook and started to try to rip it apart, but his anger quickly left him as his hit of adrenaline waned. He dropped his notebook back on the desk and his head followed after it. The faint blue lines underscoring his half-arsed attempt at an essay multiplied and blurred as his eyes came too close to the paper beneath his head. His grip tightened around the notebook and he squeezed his eyes shut as he heard the tell-tale sound of Mr Evans' shoes approaching the door.

The door opened and Mr Evans poked his blonde head around the door – Severus could not see this, of course, but it was what the man usually did when he opened the door before closing time. The Pharmacist sighed and slipped into the backroom, shutting the door gently. "Alright; out with it." Severus shifted his head and peered up at Mr Evans through the parting in his hair. The blonde man was standing not too far away, arms folded across his chest, a concerned expression on his handsome face. "What's gotten your head in such a muddle?"

Lily and Tuney must have kept their silence on the incident at the playground. "I met your daughters in the playground not too long ago," Severus admitted quietly, lifting his head from the desk. There were traces of ink smudged into his cheek, but he was blissfully aware of this fact for now. "I'd usually go to the playground whenever you let me leave here at the end of the day, in the hopes that I'd come across Lily because I...she seemed like the kind of person I could talk to. I don't have any friends..." Severus cringed at that and fell silent.

Mr Evans crossed the room and pulled up a chair, sitting down heavily as he rested his arms on the desk. "Go on," the man encouraged.

"I saw Lily use her powers and I knew for certain that I could talk to her because I have powers, too," Severus said, rubbing his left arm self-consciously. Severus knew that if anyone heard him talk like this with a Muggle, he could get into serious trouble. However, he would be able to argue the fact that Lily was a witch and that Mr Evans had been exposed to the Wizarding World since her Magic first started manifesting itself, thus making Severus' breach of the Statute of Secrecy void.

Emboldened by this knowledge, Severus continued. "I told her that she was a Witch, but that it was alright because my mum's one and I'm a Wizard. Tuney got in a snit over what happened two years ago, when I got angry with her and the bottle of medicine hit her in the face. She insulted me and I insulted her back and the pair of them left in an angry huff – even though they insulted me first – and now I can't think about anything else because I handled the situation so terribly!"

Even thinking about the incident sent Severus into fits of frustration and misery. He buried his face in his hands and let out a sound that seemed to be half a growl and half a cry. The situation was only made worse when Mr Evans started laughing at his plight. It was not the awkward laugh of a man trying to come to terms with uncomfortable news, but was hearty, rolling laugh that came right up from the bottom of his torso. Severus did not know whether he wanted to get up and yell or curl up and cry in response to Mr Evans' laughter.

Severus looked up at him, feeling rather betrayed by the knowledge that Mr Evans was laughing at him. Several minutes trickled past and finally the blonde man got himself under control. "Severus, you have nothing to worry about. Lily is a nine year old girl; by now she'll either have forgiven you or forgotten about the incident entirely. When she's fifteen or sixteen years old...then you'll have to start worrying about whether she'll forgive you; girls can be fickle beasts at that age."

It took several moments for Severus to digest that information and when he did he could not contain the hopeful smile that spread across his pale face. "You really think so?" he asked, leaning towards the man. Every word he spoke was laced with muted hope and excitement. Mr Evans spent several minutes reassuring Severus that he really did believe it and then allowed him to leave for the day, saying that he could continue working on the essays over the course of the week, now that his worries had been put to rest.

Severus tidied up his things and then slipped out of the backroom, making a beeline for the door leading out of the Pharmacy. He was so intent on getting out before anyone saw him that he did not notice the girl with red hair, standing by the counter, an open book in her hand – but that girl had not noticed him immediately, either. With his hands in his pockets, he marched away from the pharmacy, away from the warmth of someone who treated him well, his dark eyes fixated on the path laid out before him. Now that he no longer had to worry about the incident in the playground, he found his head filled with tumbling thoughts of many different things that were too numerous to catalogue.

He was so lost in his thoughts; he did not hear his name being called, or the sound of fast-approaching footsteps. A hand touched his arm from behind and it shocked him so horribly he let out an undignified squeak and almost jumped out of his skin. Severus whirled around, only to have his breath taken away by the happy sparkle of emerald green eyes. _Lily. She's here! She found me!_ These thoughts bounced around in his mind in rapid succession, followed by many more about how awful he must look, to her.

"I'm sorry," she said breathlessly, her expression contrite, though her cheeks were flushed from exertion. The heaving of chest was further evidence that she had been running after him. "I've wanted to talk to you for _days_, but I didn't know where to find you. I have no idea where Spinner's End is; there's a lot of places nestled on the river bank, you know! Petunia – my sister," she quickly added at his look of confusion, "said I'd find you at the Pharmacy, working in the backroom. I didn't want to disturb you, so I read my book while I was waiting for you."

The green-eyed girl held up her book with a smile. It was a copy of _The Fellowship of the Ring_, by JRR Tolkien. "I got so caught up in it that I didn't see you leave." Lily let out an embarrassed laugh and hugged her book to her chest, now that she had calmed down somewhat. Severus stared at her, quite mystified by the knowledge that she had been waiting for him. "Anyway," she continued, "I've been thinking...and you were right. It all makes so much sense to me now. I was always able to do things that Petunia and my parents couldn't...and I'm always being warned not to do them in public, in case people happened to see."

Severus let out a sigh of relief. She was agreeing with him, that she was a Witch, that he must be a Wizard. The idea that Lily had finally come to terms with it almost left Severus in a state of euphoria, which he tried desperately to keep off his face. He did not want to seem too happy about it, but mild pleasure at the thought was acceptable to him. The pair of them stood there, in the street, awkwardly, for several moments. It seemed neither of them knew quite what to say now.

Severus dropped his gaze to the footpath, wondering if it would be rude if he just walked away, now that their conversation had finished. A few more moments passed and then Lily broke the silence, sounding uncomfortable and eager simultaneously, though how she managed it was beyond Severus' powers of comprehension. "So..." Severus looked up and watched her tuck a lock of her crimson hair behind her ear. "Do you want to go the playground with me? It's still bright out and it would be a shame to waste the sunshine while we have it."

"Alright," Severus said slowly, unable to stop his heart from racing when Lily smiled at him. "I can't promise I'll be much fun to be around. I've never spent time with anyone my own age before." Severus clammed up then, embarrassed, when she gave him a brief strange look, and set off towards the playground. The red-haired girl followed after him, quickly falling into step beside him. While they walked together, Lily asked him several questions, about his favourite colour and his favourite foods and other such trivial things.

A number of her questions left him blushing and stammering in embarrassment. It was because, unlike other children, he really did not get the opportunity to experience the different kinds of food available, nor programmes on the television. The only question he did not really have a problem answering was the one about books. He had a read a lot of books and remembered them in great detail. Books had become Severus' closest friends over the last two years and he really did not mind it.

He asked her some questions in return, though they were fairly generic. He knew almost nothing about things other children his age had enjoyed and thus found himself falling short of decent questions to stimulate conversation between them. He had no doubt that, over time, he would learn more about the world and their conversations would have more of an even footing, in the future. That depended on whether Lily enjoyed his company enough to keep meeting up with him. Severus vowed to try his best – it was all that he had to offer, really – and if that was not good enough, then so be it.

When they reached the playground, Lily led him through the kissing gates and over to the swing set. At first, Severus was uncomfortable there, due to how much of a catastrophe their last encounter there had been, but her gentle encouragement helped him to relax. Lily placed her book on the ground by one of the poles and they took a swing each, facing opposite directions. They pushed away from the ground, starting a nice, easy swing, working their way towards a faster pace.

While he swung, Severus could help but admire the way Lily seemed so comfortable, even in a stranger's presence. He felt a pang of jealousy in the pit of his stomach. He had no doubts about her future; she would make swift friends when she attended Hogwarts. She would be cherished by many people, not only by teachers who would be won over by her simple charm, but students as well...and he would become an embarrassing thorn in her side, if they became fast friends. Severus tore his gaze away from her, closing his eyes, focusing on the motion of the swing beneath him as he pushed those depressing thoughts out of his mind.

The two of them spent some time on the swings, before moving over to a large stretch of grass. Severus laid down on the ground, resting his head on his arms. Lily laid down beside him, her book clutched in one hand and then continued to ask him questions, in an effort to get to know him a little better. Severus answered her questions as best as he could, but faltered when she asked what his parents were like. "They...argue a lot," Severus answered finally. It was not an outright lie...but it was not the full truth, either.

Eileen did argue with Severus' father...and Tobias always argued back, but usually started it...with his fists...and his boots...multiple times. Lily turned her head towards him and gave him a compassionate smile, reaching out for his hand. Her touch was warm and friendly, but sent goose bumps racing across his pale skin. "Don't worry, Severus; it'll get better," she said sincerely. "I know it will." She was wrong, of course, but he appreciated the sentiment nonetheless. Severus attempted to give her a smile in return, but it must have come across as more of a grimace, because she turned her face towards the sky once more and released his hand.

Suddenly, she laughed and pointed upwards. "Hey, that looks like a baby!"

Severus followed her finger, looking for something that vaguely resembled the shape of a baby, but seeing only clouds. "No, it doesn't. It looks like a cloud," he said, a hint of disappointment riding his words.

"No, look again." This time, Lily took hold of his hand and raised his arm, pointing with his own fingers. "Those are the arms and these are the legs and that, there, is the head. It's a baby – a chubby baby, sure, but definitely a baby. You just have a poor imagination at the moment. It's not a bad thing; they take time to nurture. I'll help you nurture yours and then you'll be able to see cloud shapes as well as I can. Won't that be fun?" she asked, smiling broadly at him, her emerald eyes sparkling prettily in the sunshine.

Severus did not think seeing pointless shapes in the clouds would be much fun at all, but he kept silent. He did not want to alienate her for what she enjoyed, now that they were finally on the road towards friendship. So far, he did not thinking making friends with her was so difficult. They were pretty speaking only of the things they enjoyed. He knew arguments might arise in the future, but at the moment everything was going swimmingly. She must have thought so, too, because she kept smiling at him in a way that made his stomach flutter uncomfortably.

Later, when the sun was beginning to set, the two of them conceded that they had to be heading home. Severus led Lily out of the playground, pausing when the girl tapped his shoulder. He turned to face her, wondering what she wanted to say now. "Do you want me to walk you home?" Lily asked, smiling cheerfully at him as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

He frowned at her, his brows knitting together. "I should be the one asking _you_ that," he pointed out, looking off to the side for a moment.

Lily laughed softly, regaining his attention. "You can, if you'd like. I could use the company; it's a boring walk home." The matter was settled when she said this and, even though he was certain spending time with him on the streets would give her a bad reputation by mere association to his riff-raff self, Severus accompanied Lily on her journey home. They babbled about books as they walked and the conversation left Severus feeling contented, in spite of the looks people gave him as they passed.

When they reached Lily's house, Severus flicked his gaze around the property, admiring it. The house had two storeys and was well-kept. The front door, brown in colour, had a gleaming brass knocker that looked like a lion's head. The windows were exceptionally clear and the grass was pristine. It looked like a pleasant house to live in; he envied that. He could see Petunia in the kitchen window, carrying a bundle of plates towards the dinner table. Severus turned towards the red-haired girl. "Well, here you are; I've walked you home. I should be going." He wanted to get away before Petunia realized he was out there.

Petunia would come out and screech at him and make a scene. It would ruin the pleasant turn of events that had happened that day. "Thanks for walking me home, Severus! I had a really good time with you today! I'll meet you at closing time, tomorrow!" Lily called out as he hastily walked away, head down, hands in his pockets. A smile was tugging at the corners of his mouth before he even realized it...

To Be Continued.

Hope you enjoyed! Feel free to let me know what you think! ^_^


	9. Chapter 9

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Nine.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Notes: Hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter and I'll hope you'll like this one too.

Chapter Nine: Small Steps, Bubble and Squeak

There were only eleven more days left in July now and Severus had spent every passing day in Lily's company. She would come to the Pharmacy after school and would do her homework in the backroom – an extra desk had been added since Severus and Lily had first started spending time together. He found they worked well together, especially when it came to English, History and Science. When their work was done, the two of them would go to the playground and spend some time on the swings, before returning to their mutual comfort of reading. He would then walk her home.

That was what it had been like at the start, at least. On the sixteenth, the routine had changed dramatically. Instead of heading to the playground after their studies, Lily brought him home with her. While both Mrs Evans and Petunia had a distinct problem with this, due to the state of his clothes, Mr Evans would put his foot down and say that if Petunia could bring her friends to the house, then Lily could as well; it was only fair. Mr Evans also thought it was cruel to deprive him of something many other children would experience.

The Apollo 11 mission was not something one could brush under a rug; it would be the talk of the world, not just their town of Cokeworth. BBC1, BBC2 and ITV, the United Kingdom's three television channels were providing extensive coverage. The programmes entitled Apollo 11 were broadcast from Lime Grove Studios in London and the BBC2 sections were broadcast in colour, while BBC1 was in black and white. Cliff Michelmore was the main presenter of the programme, while James Burke and Patricia Moore concentrated on scientific and technical explanations and analysis.

Severus was struck dumb by the entire thing. He could hardly believe that Muggles could do something as astounding as travel through space and land on the moon. He was simply unable to fathom the idea. It was not that he thought Muggles were stupid – Merlin knew there was plenty of evidence to suggest otherwise – it was that he could not imagine them being able to do things that were more wonderful than what a Wizard could do with Magic. He supposed, eventually, that since they did not have Magic, Muggles were forced to make up for it with intelligence – though some Muggles did not have that, either.

It was the twentieth of July and it found Severus and Lily curled up together on the floor of the living room, next to Mr Evans' legs. The room was tastefully furnished and had a lovely homey atmosphere that Spinner's End lacked. On the mantel above the fireplace, there was an antique spring-driven clock. Severus wondered how many men it had passed down from, since its creation. There was no doubt in his mind that it had come from Mr Evans' side of the family. For as long as Severus had known him, Mr Evans had been in love with history and antiquated items.

Mrs Evans had not cooked dinner yet, but Severus was not surprised by it. He and the Evans family and a number of their neighbours, were all packed into the living room, watching the television avidly. Tonight was the night, they said and the viewers could barely stand the wait. They had been watching _But What if it's Made of Green Cheese_ earlier and found they were all hungry for the next Mission Broadcast, now. However, several hours passed and it had still not aired on the television.

Severus and Lily started to doze off, both of them leaning against Mr Evans' legs, at around ten that night. The blonde man ordered them – and Petunia – to go upstairs for some sleep. There was a storm of protestations, even from Petunia who normally did exactly as her parents told her, but the three of them grudgingly agreed to do as he said, after several promises to wake them up when it was time for the broadcast of the landing. The three of them stomped up the stairs, grumbling about how unfair it all was.

Petunia and Lily both had their own rooms, which relieved Severus. He was not sure he could share a room with Petunia, however briefly, and survive the ordeal. Lily led Severus into her room and took a moment to show him her library case, which filled him with envy. He forced himself to squash the feeling down and survey the room, while he could. The room, while not the biggest in the house, was certainly bigger than Severus' room at Spinner's End. It was furnished very much the way Severus had expected it to be; light wood surfaces and the colour of pink in numerous places. "Nice room," he commented, though he would have much preferred a room decked out in the colour green.

He loved the colour green, but he supposed that had a lot to do with the day he had met the Evans family when he was a younger boy. Mr Evans had influenced him in a number of ways, since they had first met on that fateful day. Green would always remind him of the kindness Mr Evans had shown him, though the man had not known him in those early days. Those reminders were what kept him sane when everything around him seemed absolutely hopeless; he was convinced of that.

Shaking his head, he pulled away from those darker thoughts even as the red-haired girl thanked him for complimenting her room. Lily smiled broadly at him and climbed into her bed, which had a number of teddies sitting at the end of it. "Come on," she said, knocking several of her teddies off the bed so that she could place a pillow in their stead. "I can tell by those bags under your eyes that you're as tired as I am. There's no point hanging about – especially if you want to be awake for the landing later!"

He conceded her point and hesitantly approached the bed, but stopped before getting in. He looked over his shoulder and then down at the floor, his cheeks tinged with the faintest blush. "I'm a boy."

"Well-spotted," Lily replied with a laugh.

"I should sleep on the floor," he continued, blatantly ignoring her response, looking up to the ceiling briefly before eyeing her carefully. "All I need is a pillow and a blanket."

The girl snorted loudly and shook her head. "Don't be daft, Severus! Dad would kill me and you know it. I'm supposed to take care of you."

Severus scowled severely at her and his cheeks darkened with both anger and embarrassment. His hands curled into fists at his sides, just as they always did when he was angry and mortified. "I don't need you to take care of me, Lily." The words had rushed out of him, sounding almost like a growl. Lily's hand clenched her blanket in a vice-like grip and she stared at him in utter surprise as a little gasp escaped her. He had clearly started her. He let a breath rush out of him and he stared down at the floor. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't...it wasn't...I never meant it the way it sounded..."

Lily tentatively reached out and touched his arm, causing his gaze to jerk back up towards her, his eyes getting trapped by her emerald ones. "It's okay," she said quietly, earnestly, "everyone gets angry sometimes. The Lord knows I do it all the time and usually someone gets hit with a flying book when that happens. You're more than likely right, anyway. You probably don't need me to take care of you...but that doesn't mean I'm not going to do it. I'm your friend; it's my job to do it, even if you don't need me to...or want me to."

She smiled then and the sight of it almost took Severus' breath away. "Is that what we are?" he asked, forcing himself to look down at the floor. "Are we friends? I've never had a friend before..." Severus trailed off and grimaced, almost painfully, at the admission.

Lily laughed warmly. "To tell you the truth, Sev, neither have I. Now, come on." She grabbed his arm with both of her hands and gave it a hard tug, clearly determined to make him share the bed with her, despite his earlier protests. Struck dumb by the diminutive version of his name, Severus complied and climbed on to the bed, settling down at the other end of the bed. The blankets were warm and soft, pleasant against the skin of his hands and chin. He stared up at the ceiling, wondering which one of them would eventually cave and go turn the light off.

Lily hummed softly and the bedroom light went off. Severus snorted, finally knowing the answer to his question, but could not stop the small smile that tugged at his mouth. "You are so lazy."

"Don't I know it," she agreed, the bed shaking in the darkness because of her girlish giggles. After a while, the two of them fell into silence, but it was not awkward in the slightest. Severus and Lily had grown quite comfortable around each other, the more time they spent together. He was glad; he did not like feeling like a gooseberry.

After some time passed, while he was thinking over the conversation, a question occurred to him. He pushed himself up on his elbows and peered at Lily through the darkness. "Who's the Lord?"

If she was surprised that he was asking, it did not show. "The Lord is our God," she said simply, as if she truly believed it. "Now hush up; it's sleepy time." Severus had to restrain himself from snorting, both in disdain and amusement, and laid back down. Silence reigned once more. The darkness strengthened around him as his eyes drifted closed. It was not long at all until the pair of them slipped into slumber, their snores answering each other, as if they were conversing even in their sleep.

It was twenty minutes after three in the morning when Severus found himself being violently shaken from the land of nod. "Severus, Lily; you both need to walk up. The next broadcast will be on at any moment!" The sound of Mr Evans' voice, filled with quiet excitement, so close to Severus' head caused the boy to jerk awake, sitting up with surprising vigour. The top of his head almost collided with the man's strong chin. Mr Evans headed out of the room ahead of them, even as Severus and Lily practically fell out of the bed in their haste to get downstairs.

The two of them raced into the living room, reclaiming their previous seats, nestling against Mr Evans' legs. The room was as full as it had been earlier and everyone was staring at the television with an obvious hunger. The minutes trickled past, the viewers growing more and more impatient and, when the broadcast finally aired, a collective sigh of relief and pleasure could be heard. Apollo 11 was going to land on the moon at any moment; they could see the silvery surface of it growing closer and closer.

Severus could not take his eyes off the television screen, even though Lily had grabbed his hand and was squeezing it tightly. He simply could not believe it was really happening; mankind had landed on the moon! They had accomplished a feat the world had dreamt about for centuries. But more than that...Severus had had the chance to witness such a historically important event, all because he had happened to wander out of the house when he was a four year old boy with a distinct lack of potential.

The pinnacle of the night, however, for all of them, was when Neil Armstrong stepped out onto the moon for the first time. The living room exploded with cheers and claps, despite the fact that it was so late – Severus was certain other families were doing the same. Petunia squealed with delight as she clapped her hands rapidly and Lily hugged Severus exuberantly, grinning like a mad-hatter. Mr Evans was embracing his wife and laughing and wiping a tear from his cheek – the blonde man was in his personal heaven, witnessing such a wonderful moment of his world's history.

Severus was quiet – evidently still in shock – though a pleased smirk did manage to make its way onto his face. "I'm starving," Mr Evans announced loudly, catching peoples' attention as he got to his feet. "Anyone else hungry?" An array of hands shot up into the air, including those of Lily, Severus and Petunia. Snorting in amusement, Mr Evans shook his head and disappeared into the kitchen with his wife. The two of them were clearly prepared to cook some food for those currently invading their living room. Petunia went after them, offering her services.

Lily let out a happy sigh and rested against Severus' shoulder. He glanced down at the crimson head on his new-found friend, his cheeks tinged with pink, just as they had been up in Lily's room. "It's amazing, isn't it?" she asked breathlessly. "The power of intellect brought mankind to the moon! Just think about all the wonderful things you and I will do in the future, Sev!" She laughed then, a cheerful sound that made Severus's heart swell. People did not normally laugh in his presence.

"You think I'm smart?" His tone was clearly surprised.

"Do you think you're stupid?"

"No," he bit out, "of course not."

"Well, there you go, then; two clever people," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm sure we'll both do brilliant things one day, once our schooling's done! Dad will be so proud of us, I bet." This was said so brightly, it left little room for doubt. Severus found that he wished he could have just a glimmer of her endless confidence. If he did, maybe he would find the strength to truly stand for himself against people like his father...against people like Petunia...against people who would look at him for barely a moment, before deciding he would never be worth their time.

He glared down at his worn shoes, which were a half-size too small, and continued to mull over everything about their friendship that could possibly improve them both. He assumed that was the way friendships worked; from constant exposure to one another good traits would be cultivated, while bad traits would be dampened. He wondered what kind of man he would be in the future, following Lily's influence on his life and personality traits. He hoped he would be a man Mr Evans could be proud of, one day.

"When all of this moon-landing business is over," Lily said with a smile, "you'll have to tell me about that future school of ours, you know. I want to know absolutely everything! I don't want to be left in the dust on my first day, considering none of my parents are...like your mum." Severus could tell that she had almost said 'Witch,' but she had saved them from trouble with the adults in the room at the last possible moment. Lily giggled happily, the sound ringing in Severus' ears rather pleasantly.

Some time later plates laden with Bubble and Squeak were being handed out by Petunia, who smiled at everyone except Severus, whom she glared at. Severus glared right back, even as he thanked her. "Your sister hates me," Severus grumbled once the blonde girl had moved away.

"She'll get over it," his friend replied, though she did wear a sympathetic smile. "One day she'll see how amazing you are and she'll apologize for all the mean things she said to you and all the nasty looks she's given you." Lily pushed a lock of red-hair – still tangled from her slumber – behind her ear and picked up her fork. Nudging Severus playfully, she cajoled him into eating with her. The meal, Bubble and Squeak, consisted of fried potatoes, mixed up with an array of meats that had been leftovers from meals.

Severus found that he liked the taste and texture of everything on the plate. He ate it hungrily, though he tried his best to appear civilized in front of everyone in the living room. As he ate, he realized that people would not change their opinions of him over night. He would have to guide them by acting and thinking like someone they could respect and slowly the people around him would eventually realize that, while he was not perfect, he was not entirely bad either. Neil Armstrong would not be the only person to take small steps in the near future...

To Be Continued.

Reviews are like chocolates...feel free to leave me some. ^_^


	10. Chapter 10

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Ten.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Note: This is another chapter where some of the content will be familiar to you. I've worked in the scene in the playground where the tree branch falls on Petunia in Deathly Hallows. I don't own any of that familiar stuff; don't sue!

Chapter Ten: Broken Circle

Close to the end of July, Lily's school year ended, leaving her with plenty of free time. This new situation both pleased and irritated Severus, who still had to study every day at the Pharmacy. While Lily was able to spend more time with him, it was time spent cooped up in the backroom, while the sun blistered down upon the building, virtually baking them. Even though he would encourage his friend to go out and enjoy the sunshine while she could, she would always refuse, saying it was not fair for him to suffer alone.

Staying inside did not seem to bother her as much as it did him. The fact that she could curl up with a good book made her feel much better about it, it appeared. The subtle sound of turning pages soothed Severus a great deal whenever an essay got the better of him and started to stress him and make him irritable. Whenever Severus took breaks from studying, Lily would set her book aside and they would pace around the backroom, chatting away about random things, with a few interruptions when Mr Evans or Mr Young would come through to collect some medicines.

In the afternoon, Lily and Severus would have lunch together in the backroom – typically sandwiches and flasks full of home-made soup, which Lily would bring from home – after promising not to make a mess, of course. Severus greatly enjoyed these occasions that they spent together; it made him feel like he was amounting to something, that she would willingly spend so much time with him. Of course, feelings aside, he knew he really was not amounting to very much at all.

A boy like him was not likely to amount to much. Sure, they could be clever and hard-working, but in a lot of cases it was one's connections that helped one get ahead. Severus did not have any connections; at least none that would help him find his lot in life at the moment. This fact, however, only spurred him on. One day, when he was at Hogwarts, he would be able to make the necessary connections. His mother had once told him that Horace Slughorn, the Potions Professor and Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts, liked to give a good boost to worthy students, helping them make connections that would help them when they graduated.

Of course, the whole idea had a self-serving purpose behind it, but that was beside the point in Severus' opinion. The point was that Slughorn could provide Severus with a ticket to a good career and good connections, so long as he proved to be worthy. He vowed to himself that not only would he work harder than any other student in the school, he would make himself worthy enough to be picked by Slughorn, to win the opportunity of succeeding in life and becoming a notable person to more than just Lily, Mr Evans and his mother.

He would become a Potions Master, surpassing even his mother's skill in the subject and she had had great recommendations from Slughorn before meeting Tobias Snape had sent her future spiralling in a different direction. He promised himself that future. He would be respected, his talents sought out across Great Britain. Potions Masters were a dying breed, after all. Arsenius Jigger was the last man to be accepted into the Potioneers guild after an apprenticeship and that occurred several decades ago.

Jigger was still going strong, having recently published _Magical Drafts and Potions_ for use by Hogwarts students who were entering Hogwarts for the first time. Jigger was a cut above the rest, according to Eileen and Severus would do well to make an impression upon him in the future. Severus would only accept being the apprentice of the best and if buttering Slughorn up would help achieve that, then Severus vowed to do his absolute best. There was no point in doing things by half-measures.

Realising that his thoughts were starting to distract him, Severus closed his eyes and set down his pen, which he had started favouring since they were more like quills than pencils were. He rubbed the back of his neck, sore now after so many hours bent over his work. It was nearing closing time now, thankfully and Mr Evans would be coming in to tell him he could finish up in next to no time. Severus was glad that he had only a few more sentences left to add to the essay Mr Evans had set him that morning.

Forcing himself to concentrate, Severus finished the essay and then slumped in his chair with relief. Lily grinned across the table at him, slipping her bookmark between the pages of the book she had been reading. "Fantastic," she said, seeing that he was finished. "Soon we'll be able to go out into that sunshine! The pair of us could do with a good dose of it, in my opinion." Just as she was talking the door to the backroom opened and Mr Evans poked his head around it. He smiled warmly at them.

"There's still five minutes until we close," he said, "but since you're finished the two of you can head away now if you like."

Mr Evans was about to pull his head back when Lily spoke up, causing the man to flick his gaze in her direction. "Dad, can you take my book home? I don't want to be lugging it around outside today." Mr Evans nodded and told her to leave it on the desk; he would pick it up after. When Lily had done so, she and Severus left the Pharmacy. They never noticed that Petunia was holding a sweeping brush not too far away from them – they were far too absorbed in the fact that they could now play together.

Lily and Severus walked half the distance to the playground, before Lily said loudly, "last one there is a rotten egg!" and took off with a burst of laughter. Her hair fanned out behind her, a crimson banner in the wind, stray tendrils flying haphazardly in the breeze. The sight of it took Severus breath away, mesmerising him, causing him to stumble even as he raced after her. He did not look half as majestic and graceful as she did, but that was to be expected. A boy like Severus could never compare to such a beautiful flower like Lily.

He did catch up to her, however. They ran at full speed, arms swinging wildly at their sides, hands curled into fists. The sun bore down on them, flushing them with further warmth even as their bodies filled with the heat of exertion. Severus' cheeks were stained with a red blush, as were Lily's. His face contorting into a strange expression, Severus pushed himself to a higher speed, getting ahead of Lily by four steps. He would not have been able to run so fast had he never met Mr Evans, who gave him a good lunch every day.

Severus felt quite accomplished for having passed Lily out, but soon she came level with him again, a determined expression on her face. Her emerald eyes were burning with an inner fire that was glorious. Severus struggled to speed up, to pass her out again. His heart pounded against his ribs, his blood thumping in his ears. Breathing was becoming difficult, but thankfully they were almost at the kissing gate. He managed to slip in before her by a hair's breadth and proceeded to fall over, colliding roughly with the hard ground.

Severus bit back the cry of pain that threatened to escape him; he did not want to show any weaknesses in front of Lily. He had to be a boy of good calibre. However, while stopping himself from voicing his pain he bit his tongue by accident, the coppery tang of blood filling his mouth. Behind him, Lily jerked to a halt. "Sev," she cried shrilly, concern plainly evident. "Are you alright?!" She dropped to her knees, reaching out for him but Severus forced himself up at a speed that left him reeling.

He elbowed her accidently during his hasty scramble, causing her to pull away, rubbing her shoulder even as a wounded expression crossed her face. Severus' stomach plummeted through the ground. It was quite clear that Lily thought he had hit her on purpose. He opened his mouth to apologise and to explain, but she tore her gaze away, glaring off to the side. "It doesn't matter," she said, obviously unwilling to listen to him. Severus recoiled, quite stung by her reluctance. She was his first friend; why would he hurt her on purpose?

As soon as they were back on their feet, the pair of them traipsed over to the swings. Severus sat down in silence, gripping the chains as he stared down at the ground before him. He knew he was not the most pleasant person – he was easily irritated, was inclined to snap if embarrassed in the slightest and was not the most talkative of companions, often leaving Lily feeling awkward. He tried not to be so unpleasant, he really did, but sometimes it got the better of him regardless of his efforts.

Beside him, Lily began pushing her swing without once speaking to him. Severus tried to get into the mood to swing, but found it was impossible. Pushing off the swing, Severus strode away, head bowed. He climbed through the fence and sat in the shade of a tree, arms wrapped around his legs as he hugged his knees to his chest. He was so compact that one would miss him completely, unless one was looking for him. Lily did just that, having followed him across the playground. She looked down at him, neither angry nor concerned, but rather puzzled.

She sat down not too far away from him, mirroring his position, but without a tree to support her back. "I'm sorry for elbowing you," Severus said quietly, though he had not done so on purpose. Lily shrugged, her crimson hair tumbling from her shoulder, and offered him the tiniest smile. She patted the ground beside her in invitation. Feeling his soul lighten immeasurably just from that gesture, Severus made his way over to her, settling beside her with a swell of contentment in his heart.

Lily laid back, cushioned by the grass and Severus followed suit, looking up at the tree branches that mingled together above them. Neither of them said anything for some time, but his heart leapt into his throat when Lily reached out and took his hand in hers. "Tell me some more about the Wizarding World," she said, turning her head in his direction. She gazed at him, her green eyes sparkling in that special way that caused his lungs to seize up. She gave him an encouraging smile.

Getting himself under control, Severus spoke to her quietly. This time he told her about the Ministry of Magic, Wizarding Britain's government. He spoke of the many departments – which he recalled from conversations with his mother – and told her of funny stories about various Ministerial Employees. He thought it was a rather boring topic, but Lily was riveted. She adored hearing about the world that she really belonged to and Severus felt he had done a great deed by introducing it to her early.

She seemed to be quite in love with the idea of living a secret life, entrenched in Magic. Severus was not surprised. On the outside, the Magical World looked almost picture-perfect, but while he loved it as part of himself Severus knew the Wizarding World was not perfect in the least. It had many flaws, among which was its negative view of Muggle-Borns. He knew that not all Muggle-Borns were a waste of space or a bother, but that some would be; however, the same could be said for some Purebloods.

His mother did not speak too fondly of the Parkinsons. From what Severus could deduce from Eileen's rants when she came home from work, the Parkinsons did not treat his mother too kindly, despite the fact that she had come from a lineage as pristine as the name Malfoy. Sometime during Severus' recounting of all things to do with the Ministry they had sat up, turned and sat cross-legged facing each other. Severus took off his coat, the heat growing quite uncomfortable.

He rubbed the sweat from his neck and brushed a stray lock of hair out of his eyes. "The Ministry can punish you if you Magic outside school. You get letters –" Severus would have said more on the subject, but the expression on Lily's face turned rather frantic.

"But I _have_ done Magic outside school!" The tone was panicked, the pitch sky-rocketing with every word that escaped her mouth. One hand reached up to grab a fistful of her hair, while the other arm wrapped around her middle. She hunched over, looking as though she would be sick with terror at any moment.

"We're alright," Severus quickly assured her, reaching forward to touch her knee in a gesture of comfort. She grabbed his hand in hers, squeezing tightly. She stared at his face, into his eyes, clearly desperate to know that she would not be in trouble. "We haven't got wands yet. They you let you off when you're a kid and you can't help it." He winked at her, then, knowing very well that Lily had an enormous amount of control over her gifts. "But once you're eleven," he went on, nodding knowingly, "and they start training you, then you've got to be very careful!"

There was a small silence, but the conversation continued rather quickly as she asked him questions about whether Hogwarts was really real and if having Muggle parents made any difference. "How are things at your house?" Lily asked suddenly, changing the subject altogether, catching him off-guard.

The tiniest frowns knitted his brows together. "Fine," he replied. Of course, by _fine_ he meant _normal for the Snape household_. Tobias still gave his mother a beating almost every second day, some times more severely than others, depending on how much she back-talked to him. The most severe beatings usually followed the use or mention of Magic. Severus knew that his mother resented Tobias fiercely for his behaviour towards her and Severus, as well as his attitude towards Magic...but she loved him just as fiercely.

If staying with a man like Tobias is what love could lead to, Severus found himself almost detesting the very concept. It was abhorrent to him, the idea that one could be wounded so deeply by someone one love's so fiercely. He hoped he would never love anyone the way his mother loved Tobias; he knew it would only lead to torment, perhaps both physically and emotionally, though they were not mutually inclusive. Severus was so focused on his inner musings that he almost missed Lily's next question. "They're not arguing anymore?"

Severus choked back a scornful laugh. "Oh, yes, they're arguing," he said, picking up a handful of stray leaves. Subconsciously, he began tearing them apart. He hoped she would not ask anything too personal. He did not want to lie outright to her, but he felt secure in manipulating the truth. It would be best if she never learned of the antics Tobias got up to; she was exactly the kind of person who would try to step in, despite her lack of height or brawn. Severus shuddered to think of the harm that might come to her if she ever learned the real truth.

"Doesn't your Dad like Magic?" Her tone hinted at surprise and Severus understood why. What kind of person would dislike magic? A number of the world's problems could be solved with magic – starvation, for example. No, one could not create food from thin air, but if one had the ingredients handy one could whip up something with a flick of a wrist and then magically multiply it to feed hundreds and thousands of people the world over. For Wizards, it was a simple problem with a simple solution.

"He doesn't like anything, much," said Severus, his tone tinged with an inherent bitterness that he tried to suppress. _Including me_, he thought.

"Severus?" The sound of his name on Lily's lips pulled him out of his bitter thoughts. A little smile tugged at the corner of his mouth even as his stomach flip-flopped. He liked the way she said his name. There was warmth, true affection in it and he appreciated it beyond any means of description. He looked up at her with a raised brow. "Tell me about the Dementors again." Her voice acquired a dreamy tone, but there was nothing dreamy about the subject she wanted to hear about.

"What do you want to know about them for?" he asked, quite bewildered. He could not fathom why anyone would want to speak of such creatures. Sometimes, he dreamed about them, especially on foggy nights, which can at times indicate that Dementors are breeding in the area. His dreams were more like nightmares, where the Dementors floated into their house and sucked their souls out while they were fast asleep, vulnerable to attacks. Severus focused his attention on the conversation at hand when she began speaking again.

Lily nibbled her bottom lip, worried. "If I use Magic outside school –"

Severus almost laughed, but he did not want to offend her. "They wouldn't give you to the Dementors for that! Dementors are for people who do really bad stuff. They guard the Wizard Prison, Azkaban. You're not going to end up in Azkaban, you're too –" _Lovely_, he nearly said. Thankfully he had caught himself in time. He did not want her to think that he fancied her! It would put a horrible spanner in their relationship and that would not do at all. But she really was lovely. Sweet and kind and warm; she was everything he was not.

His cheeks flushed red and he tore up some more leaves. Suddenly there came a soft rustling from behind him. His spine went rigid as his face contorted with alarm. He was afraid that round boy, Peter, and his _friends_ – Severus thought of the word with derision – might have found them and had come to teach the _freaks_ a few lessons...like how to not be a freak, as unoriginal as it was. It was, however, quite a different sight that met him when he stood up and whirled around. Petunia, who had evidently been eavesdropping, had lost her footing while hiding behind her tree and was now quite plainly visible.

Anger flared, red and hot, within Severus. She had nastily accused him of spying on her and Lily several weeks ago and she had the audacity to do exactly that! "Tuney!" Lily exclaimed, obviously surprised. She was also quite welcoming, ready to beckon her over. Severus reacted on impulse.

"Who's spying now?" he yelled, a sneer evident in his voice. "What do you want?!"

"What's that you're wearing, anyway?" Petunia demanded in a harsh tone, ignoring his questions as she pointed almost violently towards his torso. "Your Mum's blouse?" Rage filled Severus, even as he wrapped his arms around his middle as if to protect the clothes he wore. It was not his fault that his family could not afford the latest fashions like Petunia's could. A tingle ran through him, from the roots of his hair to the tips of his toes and above Petunia's head a large branch broke away from the tree, tumbling down through the air.

Lily cried out in dismay mere moments before the missile slammed into Petunia's shoulder, almost sending her flying. She staggered, struggling to regain her balance. It had clearly hurt something fierce, judging by the tears that were now falling freely down her face, reddening her eyes and cheeks, contorting her mouth. Severus blanched, taking a step backwards, anger rushing away, only to be replaced by terror. He knew he was to blame and Lily was bound to end their friendship because of this. The incident had been a result of accidental Magic – _his_ Magic!

"Tuney," Lily called, reaching out for her sister, but Petunia was already fleeing the scene, one arm limp at her side. The blonde girl ran as fast as her long, skinny legs could carry her, skirts flaring around her. Suddenly, Lily was rounding on Severus, Petunia almost forgotten. Lily's eyes were alive with righteous anger and her hands were curled into fists at her sides. "Did you make that happen?"

"No!" _Not on purpose at least_, he thought but did not say – he did not want Lily thinking he was not as magically strong as her. He was both defiant and scared, wanting her to believe him, yet knowing she would not. The branch had been too sturdy to be an act of nature and Lily had most certainly not caused the incident.

"You did," she said, tone wounded. "You _did_! You hurt her!"

"No, I didn't!" Lily was not convinced and he knew she was right not to be, even though it felt like a slap in the face that she did not see it for what it was; an accident. For such a clever girl, she was quick to jump to conclusions. Giving Severus a burning look, she stormed away, leaving Severus to stare after her, tormented by misery...

To Be Continued.

Feel free to tell me what you think, guys! I feast on reviews! ^_^


	11. Chapter 11

Title: Blue October, Volume One, Chapter Eleven

Author: Woodland Goddess

Rated: M

Author's Notes: Aw, Poor Severus in the last chapter. I always feel so bad for him when Lily jumps to conclusions about him... Thanks for the reviews and patience, guys! I greatly appreciate them!

Chapter Eleven: Encounters of the Distasteful Kind

The days following the branch incident at the playground were some of the worst for Severus. He could not help but feel utterly miserable that he did not have as much control over his magic – or his emotions – as Lily did. She seemed to be a singularly gifted Witch and he had been lucky to become friends with her, but now all of that was ruined; simply because he could not reign in his temper. Of course, he did not blame himself entirely. Petunia was also at fault; she was so insistent on deriding him whenever she saw him, for whatever reason.

After the incident Lily did not once set foot inside the Pharmacy and Mr Evans never brought her up, though he treated Severus no different than he usually did. Severus was immensely grateful for that. He could not bear it if two sources of warmth, affection and kindness turned against him. Outside of his family, they were all that he had. One might not think it was much, but they were definitely a hundred times more than he could ever ask for or deserve. He just hoped that one day they could think of him like that, in return...but he doubted that day would come.

On the seventh day following Lily's flight from him, Severus headed to the playground. He had done so every day since the incident, but today he was particularly miserable. He wanted tell Lily how truly sorry he was that Petunia had been hurt, even if she had started it. He wanted to hug her tightly and never let go. He wanted to curl up in a ball at her feet and weep. He wanted to tell her to take the log out of Petunia's eye, before ripping the stick from his. But he did none of these things, despite remembering, clearly, the route to her house.

Severus might not have much, but he had some measure of pride, buried deep within his heart. Swallowing thickly, he slipped through the kissing gate, into the playground; the place that held some of his most cherished memories. He went over to the swings and sat down heavily, a sigh of boundless misery escaping him. Gripping the chains, he glared down at the ground, wishing Petunia had never come to spy on them. Not only had she contributed to the ending of his friendship with Lily, she had learned things that Muggles were not supposed to know.

If the Ministry ever found out what she had learned from him...well, it was safe to say it would be doubtful that Severus would reach Hogwarts at the age of eleven. Even at his age, Wizarding children knew not to speak of their world around Muggles. If anyone learned that Petunia knew about the Wizarding World, he would be in very deep trouble and that was not something that he liked to think about. If he could have obliviated the entire incident from his mind, he most certainly would have.

Growling softly, Severus pushed off the ground, easing himself into a steady swinging rhythm. It was cathartic, but did not erase all trace of his troubles from his mind. The tiniest portion of it still niggled at the back of his mind, irritating him, causing his body to tense up. The rigidity of his body did not allow him to bend and flow to create kinetic energy for the swing. Letting out a frustrated noise that sounded vaguely reminiscent of a gargle, Severus dragged his feet, forcing the swing to a stop.

He hated it when he had something on his mind; it hardly ever allowed him to have peace. If anything, peace of mind was one thing he hoped he would find when he reached Hogwarts. There was always something bothering him, niggling away at his mind. He rubbed his hand down his cheek, slightly pulling at the flesh beneath his eye. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, muttering to himself about the mess he and Petunia had put him in. He rose from the seat of the swing and turned to leave the playground; he would find no peace there.

Severus stopped in his tracks, however. There was a boy coming into the playground, squeezing – with some difficulty – through the kissing gate. He was short and round, with watery eyes. Severus knew who the boy was, of course; he recognised him easily. It was none other than Peter, one of the children who had been hunting Lily down two years earlier. He was the boy that Severus had unceremoniously tripped, in an effort to aid Lily from behind the scenes. The clothes the boy was wearing were well-made and seemingly new, indicating his family had some bit of money.

Severus eyed him, his gaze narrowed. There was something unpleasant about the way the boy was looking at him, like he was some new animal that he could hunt for sport. Severus flicked his gaze around, checking for the boy's friends. He thought of the word loosely; the group seemed to be more like a gang of miniature hooligans. He would not be surprised in the slightest if they grew up to be criminals, if he was being utterly honest. Severus straightened as the boy approached, keeping his head held high with what little pride in himself that he had.

"I've seen you with Evans," Peter said without preamble, watery blue eyes locked on Severus.

"I could care less," Severus replied, a hint of sarcasm lacing his tone. He used sarcasm quite regularly, though he had no idea that he did so. Severus did not know sarcasm existed, let alone that he used it.

Peter smiled up at him – he was almost a head shorter than Severus – but the smile was not the least bit kind. "You should," he said, scratching his button nose absently. "Care, that is; I know what you are."

"Congratulations. Being able to tell the difference between a human being and a rock is a _fantastic_ achievement; your mother must be so _proud_," Severus retorted with a sneer that would, one day, become his trademark expression, but as much as Severus did not want to admit it; he was afraid. Could Peter really deduce that he was a Wizard, by mere association to Lily? It seemed ridiculous and yet there was a knowing gleam in the short boy's eyes, a telling lift to his mouth. It was quite clear the boy thought he knew something about Severus – something he obviously thought to be a dirty little secret.

Peter's face turned red and his eyes almost bulged out of his head at the slight, but a moment later he shook it off and laughed; it was a horrendous sound, like the human equivalent of a rat's squeak. Severus glared down the length of his nose at him, shoulders tense, while his hands gripped each other behind his back. He did not like this boy at all. "Use that tone all you like, Snape, but I can see it in your eyes; you're scared! Of course, you have good reason. Like I said, I know what you are."

"Oh, and what do you think I am?" Severus demanded, deciding to play along for the sake of finding out exactly what Peter thought.

"I don't think –"

"Pity," Severus said sardonically, tilting his head to the side.

"I _know_," Peter said firmly in an attempt to assure Severus. "You're like Lily; an abomination."

"How _dare_ you?!" The shocked and enraged exclamation was uttered by a familiar voice, but it took Severus completely by surprise. He had neither seen nor heard Lily approaching, yet there she was, standing behind Peter. The boy whirled around so fast he almost over-balanced. Severus, his cheeks flushed with red – having a girl come to his rescue wounded his pride rather spectacularly – stared at Lily. The girl's hands were curled into fists and her eyes were alive with a fire that Severus rarely saw directed at him.

Her gaze gave Peter a proper roasting as she stood there, tendrils of her crimson hair blowing in the wind. Even at the tender age of nine, she was a sight to behold. "How dare you say such a thing to him?! He hasn't done anything, but be my friend and you call him that? For what?! And what does it matter to you, whether he's like me or not? What we are or aren't is none of your business!" She strode forward, drawing her hand back; she clearly meant to strike the unpleasant boy.

Peter let out an undignified squeak and fled before she could land a hit. _Coward_, Severus thought with derision. The pair of them watched the boy run away in silence, before turning to look at each other. The faced each other awkwardly, neither of them sure where to go from that point. Severus rubbed the back of his neck, while Lily scratched at her right arm, looking down at the ground. "Thank you," Severus said hesitantly, breaking a silence that had lasted for several minutes. His cheeks were still stained red. "I'd be grateful if you'd never do that again, though..."

"What?" Lily asked, looking up in surprise, her arm forgotten.

"Rescue me," Severus said, looking off to the side. "It's embarrassing enough being unable to afford things that kids like you take for granted; I don't need someone else to fight my battles for me. Let me have what little pride I can have. Promise me you won't try to rescue me like that, ever again." His tone was full of quiet pleading for her to understand. "Please." For a long time, Lily said nothing and he was beginning to wonder if she had left, but he was too nervous and embarrassed to look.

He startled when Lily took his hand in hers. Severus whipped his head around to face her, staring at the girl who had come to his aid, even though they had parted on bad terms. She smiled sweetly at him. "If it makes you feel better, then I promise," she said firmly, nodding her head, her auburn locks bobbing with the motion. The corners of Severus' mouth pulled upwards into a crooked smile, one that he rarely showed anyone. Normally, he allowed his eyes to express his feelings for him. She continued with a smile that turned a little sad. "I'm sorry about last week...for blowing up at you."

"I...no...it's...it's okay."

"It isn't! It _isn't_ okay! I blew up at you, even though you didn't deserve it! I've been thinking about that day all week! Petunia was insulting you and you were upset, just like I got upset when she called me a freak once. You just...you lost control...even I do that sometimes...and it was really mean of me to take my worry for Petunia out on you." Severus' cheeks flushed an even deeper red as she pointed out his failings, but he mumbled his gratitude for her apology and his acceptance of it. After a fashion, he enquired about her sister. "Oh...well..." Lily hesitated, scuffing the ground with her shoe. "Her collarbone's broken."

"Oh."

"Yeah..."

"I hope she'll feel better soon," Severus said, the words tumbling from his lips awkwardly. Lily's smile brightened immeasurably at that, causing Severus to tentatively smile at her in return. "Do you want to play some...uh...?" Severus spent several moments searching for the name of an appropriate game, but none came to mind. He was not used to playing games; he and Lily usually sat on the ground and cloud-gazed or spoke to each other in quiet voices. Hopefully, this would be his first experience with playing games.

"Chase?" Lily asked, grinning, a happy giggle escaping her. "I'd love to, Severus!" She shoved him rather roughly with her hand. "Tag; you're it!" Lily took off, skirts whirling around her swiftly moving legs. Her hair streamed behind her, that familiar banner that took Severus' breath away. It took several moments of gaping at her retreating back for him to realise he was meant to run after her. When he finally did so, he stumbled in his haste to follow after her. He chased her in endless circles around the playground, trying a multitude of tactics in an attempt to get his hands on her.

He finally did manage to catch her, when he tricked into thinking he was circling the slide in one direction, but had actually turned right around and head the other way. She collided with him roughly and both of them went sprawling backwards, impacting harshly with the ground. A burst of laughter of escaped the pair of them. "You're it," he said, forcing the words out between laughs. Lily kicked his foot from her spread-eagled position, as if that gesture alone meant she had caught him.

Severus snorted, partly amused and partly deriding. "You're so lazy." It was a comment that escaped him almost every day, when he was in Lily's presence. She was particularly lazy; she would run if she had to, but typically preferred to lounge around, rather like a cat, soaking up whatever heat there was to be found. Lily lifted her head and poked her tongue out at him, before resting her head on the ground again. She pushed her arms under her head, allowing them to act as a form of cushion.

"Am I really an abomination?" Lily asked. Her voice shook. It was clear she had been strongly affected by Peter's words.

"No," Severus snapped; it was obvious to him that she should believe his word over that boy's. Severus was her friend, after all. "Peter's a moron; he doesn't have the slightest clue what he's talking about. If anyone's an abomination it's him; he looks more like a rat than any person I've ever seen."

"That's mean, Severus," Lily replied, but there was laughter in her voice. Obviously, it was not so mean that she was unable to find any humour in Severus' comment about the boy. This pleased him greatly; he did not want to alienate her because of a silly comment about a boy that seemed to be nothing more than a cowardly bully, tagging along with groups that could protect him and fleeing when he was outnumbered or intimidated – even when the intimidator in question was a pretty girl.

"Well, he was being mean to me first; it's nothing more than his just desserts!"

"I guess you're right," Lily said with a small sigh and then she shifted, coming over to lie beside Severus. "I'm glad I found you." The words were quietly spoken, barely more than a whisper, but Severus heard them, his ears disentangling them from the breeze blowing through the playground around them. Impulsively, Severus took her hand in his and squeezed lightly, trying to convey that he very much felt the same way. They had both been in need of a friend when they found each other and good friends, Severus hoped, would be what they would be one day.

Their friendship had barely started and had plenty of time to be nurtured and grown before they turned eleven and received their Hogwarts letters. By then, Severus was certain that they would be almost inseparable. Lily and Severus would be friends, no matter what trials and tribulations would await them in the future. Lily tilted her head slightly, resting it lightly against Severus' shoulder. "Who do you think will come to explain everything to my parents?" she asked suddenly, evidently curious.

"I have no idea," Severus answered, his eyebrows knitting together as he frowned up at the sky. "It's usually one of the Professors, according to my Mum, but sometimes one of the Governors from the Board can do it. It really depends on what the situation calls for, I think."

"What else has your Mum told you about?"

Severus' eyes flashed with contentment and the corner of his mouth quirked upwards. "Quite a bit, actually. I think she enjoys nattering on about the Wizarding World; she doesn't normally get the chance to talk about it, so she pounces on the few times that she can, like a cat when it has a mouse in its sight."

"Ah. Well, feel free to talk about anything; even if it ends up getting covered when we go to school!" Severus did exactly as she asked. He started talking about the subtle science and exact art of brewing Potions. He spoke of the different kinds of herbs, animals, powders and fluids that could be used when brewing and how different combinations can lead to disaster. Lily found all of this rather exciting, judging by gasps and sighs of longing. It was quite clear to Severus that she desperately wanted to try it.

Severus felt a swell of happiness in his heart. It was wonderful being able to talk about Potions with her. He could not imagine how horrifying it would be, if she had not been magical. The thought of having to keep secrets from her, it gave him cold shivers and goose bumps. Fortunately, lady luck seemed to be in his favour of late. Silently, he vowed not to do anything too wild or say anything too harsh; he did not want to experience another week without contact with Lily. She was the only friend he had in the world and she meant everything to him, even at such an early stage in their relationship.

"I can't wait until we go to Hogwarts," Lily said breathlessly, sitting up so that she could look down at him. The setting sun exploded off her auburn strands of hair, glowing against her skin, causing her eyes to stand out even more. She was absolutely radiant and for several moments her beauty was all he could see.

To Be Continued

Feel free to let me know what you think, guys! ^_^


	12. Chapter 12

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Twelve.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Notes: This one took a while to write for some reason. *sigh* But on with the show! Enjoy! ^_^

Chapter Twelve: Call me Harry

The weeks passed by at an easy speed, each one of them as memorable to Severus as the previous one; now it was mid-October and Halloween was swiftly approaching, though Severus did not expect to participate in the Muggle holiday. From morning until late afternoon, Severus would study in the backroom at the Pharmacy and Lily would spend her day at school, but once those few hours were over the world was their oyster. Most evenings, they would run to the playground, to enjoy the sparse hours of sunlight that remained to them.

Other times, however, Lily would drag Severus to the Corner Shop, merrily informing him that Mr Evans had given her a few pounds. Obviously, she was encouraged not to spend all of it, but some of it could most certainly be wasted on sweets. The Corner Shop was small, but it was filled to bursting with sweet things. Lily's eyes enlarged to the size of golf balls every time she entered and Severus had almost fainted the first time he had the privilege of stepping foot inside. There were certainly more choices than Severus could ever sample, desire or afford.

It mattered little to Lily, though, and that rather embarrassed Severus. She would always give him first preference, letting him pick out whatever he wanted and then using what was left for her own sweet tooth. Often times, Severus ended up with more sweets than she did. It always caused a mortified blush to rise in his cheeks and efforts to return some items. In the end, Lily would bully him into accepting everything and marched him out the door as soon as she paid for them.

Severus never ate his sweets all at once; he savoured them, making them last for as long as possible. Lily giggled every time he tried to explain it to her; she just did not understand. "Sweets are supposed to be demolished in minutes," she would say, "not made to last for days on end!" A little tiny part of him wished she understood what poverty was, but the majority of him was immensely grateful that she never had and hoped that she never would. He did not think poverty was something that a girl like Lily could survive.

On this particular day, Lily burst into the backroom of the Pharmacy a half hour before closing time, wearing a silly grin on her face. "Pack up, Severus; Dad says you can finish for the day!"

Severus' hand tightened so much around his pen that it snapped in half, ink covering his hand and his work. "Blast!" he cried, dropping the halves of pen still in his hand and scrambling to save as much of his essays as possible, frantically patting at the ink with his hand-me-down frock coat. "Damn it all, Lily; couldn't you break it to me gently instead of almost giving me a heart attack?" His tone was harsh and demanding and, when he had saved his essays, he raised his head and gave her a glare.

Lily placed her hands on her hips, fingers slightly spread. Her emerald eyes sparked with an inner fire and she frowned sternly at Severus from where she stood in the doorway. "Excuse me? How would I know you were going to react like that? Nobody likes being cooped up alone all day!"

"Don't give me that tripe," Severus snapped, his mouth curling into a sneer, his hands curling into fists at his side. "It's not being inside that I like; it's the chance to learn things! Of course you wouldn't know anything about it, would you?! You take everything in your life for granted! Your doting father, your money, your schooling; everything! Just for one second, I wish you would slow down and think about everything you have, that I don't and realise just how bloody lucky you are!"

Breathing heavily, Severus fell silent, his cheeks mottled with anger. Lily was staring at him, her own anger forgotten. Her eyes quivered and her bottom lip trembled. Tears welled and began trickling down her cheeks and in that moment Severus forgot why he was even angry. He could not stand the sight of Lily being in such misery. Severus lost his sneer and his glare and took a tentative step forward, arms rising slightly in invitation, hoping Lily would forgive him for his outburst.

Lily blinked, momentarily clearing her vision, and then crossed the room. She burrowed into Severus' torso, burying her face in his shoulder. Though he had offered himself as a form of comfort, he was still surprised by how readily she came to him. Eyeing the top of her auburn head, he patted her back somewhat awkwardly. For several moments, Lily wept, her tears soaking into the fabric of his frockcoat. He could not deny that he was rather enjoying the fact that she felt she could cry on him.

Eventually, she pulled away, rubbing her cheeks with the back of her hand. She gave him a watery smile. "I'm sorry," they offered simultaneously. They shared an embarrassed, if slightly amused, smile. Lily continued in a soft voice, "I really am sorry. I just...I thought you'd be happy. I was coming in to tell you Dad said you could finish up, but you didn't let me finish. I asked him if I could bring you over for dinner and he said that I could. If you want to, that is..." She trailed off at the end, noticing that he was staring at her blankly.

Severus could hardly believe it. The only time Severus had ever really set foot in her house had been during the voyage to the moon, which had been televised. He knew Mrs Evans was not pleased with the idea of him coming inside the house...and Petunia detested him beyond belief. Having him around would not be a pleasant affair for either of them, yet Lily and Mr Evans did not have much of a problem with him. They were like two sides of the same coin; the side that accepted the dregs of society, trying to help them and the side that turned up their nose.

Severus looked down at himself, at the threadbare state of his clothes, at the ink staining his frockcoat. "I can't," he said firmly, though there was a twinge of pain there, too. "I'd like to go, but I can't. I won't stand in front of your family, looking like a...a...ragamuffin," he stammered, his cheeks flushing with the red of embarrassment. There was nothing more embarrassing than standing in front of your friend's parents and not meeting their approval.

"Don't be ridiculous," said Mr Evans, stepping into the backroom. It was quite clear that he had heard every word. Mr Evans took off his reading glasses, folded them up and slipped them into his pocket. "I know my wife can seem...disapproving at times, but she _does_ try to put it aside." The man smiled softly down at the boy, trying to reassure him of this. "It's very rude to treat your guests badly and she's been taught since a young age to never be rude, if she can help it. Besides, I want you to come over and have dinner with us!"

Severus swallowed thickly and dropped his gaze to the floor, shuffling awkwardly on his feet. His hands automatically tried to cover up the ink stain on his frock coat. "But I look terrible," Severus said, voice trembling. "You can't tell me you'd go to dinner at someone's house, looking like something the cat had dragged in."

Mr Evans snorted in amusement. "Son, when I was nineteen I visited my elder sister in London; I was covered in paint from head to toe. An ink stain and some frayed cloth isn't as bad that. Put away your pride for awhile and enjoy a hearty home-cooked meal." There was that little word again; _son._ The word had made repeated appearances throughout the two years he had known Mr Evans and each time left him feeling warm and fuzzy in his chest. Severus' cheeks glowed with affection for the older man, but he wondered why Mr Evans seemed to care so much about him.

He always wondered.

"Fine," Severus caved, looking away briefly.

"Excellent," Mr Evans said brightly, the corners of his mouth pulling up into a broad smile. The skin around his eyes crinkled with his pleasure. "Get ready to go so; I'll be closing up in the front." With that, he toddled off, leaving Severus and Lily alone together once more. He avoided look at her, lowering his gaze to the floor again. Sometimes, he wondered why he let these two walk all over him, but he often pushed those thoughts aside; they were not worth his time in the slightest.

With a sigh, Severus tidied up, grumbling under his breath. Lily offered to help, but he declined it; he could handle everything on his own. When he was done, he turned to face his red-haired companion, who was watching him quietly. He gave her a tentative smile, which she returned, much more warmly. "Come on," she said, reaching out for his hand. "We should be going." He was reluctant to allow her to pull him along behind her, but he had already agreed to go for Mr Evans' sake.

Muttering under his breath, Severus allowed Lily to drag him out from the backroom. Mr Evans had just finished closing up; all that remained was to lock the door on their way out. Mr Evans ushered them out into the evening air, the late autumn chill flushing their cheeks and noses with colour. Severus rubbed his left arm as a twinge of pain shot up through the bone; ever since Tobias had broken his arm the pain came whenever it was cold or was about to rain. Lily had often enquired about it, but his continuous silence on the matter eventually caused her to give up.

The journey to Lily's house was too short for Severus' liking; he had hoped for some time to brace himself for the negative reactions that would surely arise once his presence was made known at the Evans household. When they arrived at the house, Mr Evans swung the car into the driveway and parked. Severus sat in the back seat, wringing his hands as Mr Evans and Lily started getting out of the car. He really did not want to go inside. Mrs Evans was in the kitchen, setting the table, and Petunia was about to open the front door for her father.

Severus would be seen at any moment and this left him with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He could imagine the kind of nasty comments that would, inevitably, come from Lily's elder sister and he had absolutely no desire to hear them. Mr Evans had disappeared inside, greeted by his eldest daughter, when Lily realized Severus had not followed them. She looked over her shoulder and frowned at him, beckoning him with her hand. It was too late to back out now; he had to go in.

Hands shaking, he unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the car door. Climbing out into the cool evening air, Severus took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves. On hesitant legs, he walked, shoulders hunched, towards the front door, where Petunia was glaring venomously over Lily's shoulder. He dropped his gaze to the ground as he approached, not willing to sink to her level of animosity. He did not want to disappoint Lily or Mr Evans by being rude to one of their family members.

Lily took hold of his hand when he neared her and virtually hauled him inside; clearly she was afraid he would turn and run. Severus was certainly tempted to do so, but he would suffer through the evening for her sake, if it meant seeing her smile at him again. Petunia shut the door sharply and stomped in after them, making her distaste for his presence quite plain. Out of pure spite, Severus straightened his back as he walked and held his head high; just a mask to use when he needed it, much like the mask he used when answering Tobias back during a beating.

Lily led Severus into the kitchen, where Mr Evans was murmuring softly to his wife. A carving knife and a large fork for skewering meat were still clasped in her hands as the man spoke to her. Severus could just make out her eyes and nose over her husband's shoulder. Mrs Evans did not look pleased in the slightest; Severus was not surprised. Mr Evans, smiling away to himself, stepped away from his wife and went over to the sink to wash his hands, before seating himself at the dinner table.

The man opened the newspaper, which had been resting near his side plate, and buried himself in the articles. The roast was not quite ready, apparently. Mrs Evans' eyes flicked up and down Severus' threadbare and stained appearance, her mouth tightening fractionally. "Thank you for allowing me to join you and your family for dinner, Mrs Evans," Severus said quietly but earnestly, trying to impress upon her that it mattered to him very much, even if she could not stand the sight of him at all.

Mrs Evans' eyes narrowed infinitesimally. "The pleasure was mine," the auburn-haired woman replied, though her tone did not match her words. She would always have reservations in regards to him; no matter how polite or sincere he was, especially when he was in their house for dinner. Severus knew she was imagining what the neighbours might think of her having a ragamuffin like him within the walls of their home. With nothing more to say to him, Mrs Evans set the implements down on the table and turned away, her auburn waves whirling through the air briefly.

His dark gaze lingering on Lily's mother, Severus watched her approach the oven, pulling a tea towel from a nearby rack. With a sigh, he pulled his attention away and focused upon Lily, who was now ushering him towards a chair on Mr Evans' left side. Severus sat down, admiring the chairs. He wondered how satisfying it would be to have such a skill, but he supposed that brewing was not altogether different; it was similar in that took great care, precision and an in-depth knowledge of what one was trying to create.

Severus shifted his gaze to the table and, seeing the brand new silverware set for dinner, could not help being a little awestruck. Petunia, who had taken a seat at the opposite side of the table, fastened upon that little titbit of facial expression. "What's the matter, Snape? Not used to seeing cutlery? I'm not surprised; I bet your kind eat off the floor." The words were sharp and laced with venom, designed to wound deeply and fester. Severus' face paled considerably, skewering her with a glare of his own as his hands curled into fists on his lap.

He opened his mouth to snap back an icy retort, but Mr Evans beat him to it. The man's large hands clenched, wrinkling the newspaper severely as he lowered it. Mr Evans, his face almost as pale as Severus', turned his emerald eyes on his daughter – this time, instead of affection, there burned an intense anger, yet there was a hint of disappointment, too – and rose from his chair roughly, almost knocking it over behind him. "Petunia Jennifer Evans, how dare you say such a thing?! Haven't I taught you girls better than that?"

Everyone in the room froze – Mrs Evans almost dropped the roast beef she had been carrying over to the table – at the sound of Mr Evans' voice. The man normally was quiet and restrained; it was the first time any of them had heard him raise his voice, which was certainly saying something about how much he cared for Severus. "Young lady, get yourself upstairs to your room this instant and think about what you've just said! You'll go without dinner until you can be civilised!" Nobody moved as Petunia stared at her father, eyes widened with shock. "_Now_!"

Throwing Severus a dirty look, Petunia fled the kitchen, tears welling in her eyes. The kitchen fell into stunned silence and Mr Evans slowly sat down, breathing heavily. He was impossibly angry and Severus could hardly believe it was in response to something Petunia had said about _him_. "That was harsh," Mrs Evans chided, hurriedly continuing her journey to the table. "Do you have to deprive her of dinner? She's been on her feet all day! She obviously felt justified in saying what she did, even if you can't believe that."

Severus lowered his head and stared at the table. He fiddled with the hem of his ink-stained frock coat, not daring to look up should Mrs Evans look at him in a negative fashion. "There is no justification in treating others like they're worth less than her," Mr Evans retorted, steel in his tones, "and she knows that very well; we've been teaching her that since she was four." Mr Evans cleared his throat, the sound catching Severus attention, causing him to raise his head a fraction. Mr Evans was looking at him, his expression firm but with a hint of his inner kindness. "Severus, I don't want you to pay attention to anything Petunia says from now on; you hear me?"

"Yes, sir," the boy replied dutifully, though he felt ill at ease. "I'll...I'll try my best."

"Good." The corners of Mr Evans' mouth quirked up into a small smile as he reached and ruffled Severus' fondly. "And none of this 'sir' nonsense, son. Call me Harry; you've earned that right." Even as he said it, Mr Evans rose from his chair once more, hands reaching for the carving knife and skewering fork; he was doing the honours of carving that evening's roast, never noticing how he had left young Severus feeling dumbfounded...

To be continued

So, what do you think guys? Feel free to leave a review if you have anything to say about what you've read of Blue October so far ^_^


	13. Chapter 13

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Thirteen.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Note: I figured I'd be nice and post the next one. Lol ^_^ I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. Feel free to let me know what you think ^_^

Chapter Thirteen: Get Him 

"Hey, Severus," Lily called brightly, a happy smile stretching across her face as she came barrelling out the front door of her house. Two weeks had passed since the disastrous dinner affair at the Evans' household. After Petunia had been sent to her room, the kitchen had settled into an awkward silence which none of them had really been willing to break. Severus was glad the nightmare was over, though Lily often voiced that she wished Petunia would learn to keep her mouth shut if she had nothing nice to say.

Severus tucked a lock of his limp hair behind his ear and waved at Lily with his free hand. His friend had a brief break from school during the week of Halloween and Mr Evans had been kind enough to cut down Severus' workload for the week. He was neither pleased nor dissatisfied by the fact, but he found that he had a severe case of restlessness when he was not bent over his studies. Half the time, Severus had no idea what to do with himself but he did not want to bother Mr Evans by asking if he could have his normal workload back.

Lily hurried down the driveway towards him, linking arms with him as soon as she could. She had a satchel hanging off one shoulder. It was not as large as a man's satchel, but it was certainly big enough to carry a number of items. "What's in there?" Severus queried, an eyebrow rising as he eyed the bag. A minor bout of suspicion was coursing through him. With a girl like Lily, one could never be certain what they were planning; being honest was a perfect method of deception.

Lily grinned and squeezed his arm affectionately. "Always so suspicious," she teased, poking his arm. The corner of Severus' mouth quirked upwards, a familiar smirk that would, one day, become a trademark among his fellows. _Always_, he admitted to himself, though he said nothing in response to Lily's comment. Lily rested her head momentarily against Severus' shoulder; a gesture of affection that Severus held dear to his heart. "You should learn to loosen up, Severus, honestly!"

"If I was loose, I'd fall apart," Severus said, snorting in quiet amusement. He could not help imagining the loosening of all joints in the body, the bones and muscles tumbling to the ground, twitching but unable to move from where they had fallen. It was a morbid image and yet he found something hilarious about the whole thing. Lily playfully elbowed him, a bubble of laughter escaping her chest. He elbowed her in return, deliberately careful. He never really knew when he was being too rough.

The two of them started walking towards the playground, chatting as they did so. Lily informed him about her day at school. She went to an all girls' Catholic school - Cokeworth, despite the flourishing nature of the Church of England, had remained stubbornly Catholic for many centuries – where they had morning assemblies accompanied by daily prayers. Sometimes, the assembly hall would get so hot that a girl or two would collapse before the Sisters were willing to let them leave.

Nancy Cook, a girl in Lily's class, made it her daily task to give Lily a hard time, for no other reason than that she was a redhead. Severus thought it was an incredibly stupid reason to bully someone and did not understand how anyone could think being a redhead was a bad thing, especially when it was Lily's shade of red hair which he thought was particularly lovely. Nancy, as it happened, was decidedly better-off than the Evans' family, being the youngest daughter of a neurologist and a paediatrician who both worked excessive hours at the hospital, where Severus' broken arm had been treated two years previously.

"If you want...we can scare her into leaving you alone," Severus suggested, his voice barely more than a whisper as he leaned his head slightly towards Lily's ear. "All it would take is a little practice in controlling our Magic; a _Leg-Locker Curse_ would do the trick!"

Lily turned her head and gazed at him, eyes slightly narrowed. "That wouldn't be very nice, Severus..."

Severus pursed his lips. "And pushing you down the stairs is somehow nicer than what I suggested?"

His friend frowned sternly, her arm tightened around Severus' elbow. "No, of course not, but that doesn't mean we should or have the right to use our Magic against her. It's such an unfair advantage, after all. Besides, scaring her would make us no better than she is and we are definitely better than that." The two of them fell into silence then, both of them contemplating what they had just discussed. Severus thought it was perfectly justifiable to use Magic against someone that was treating one like garbage.

Lily and Severus were half-way to the playground when they were forced to stop in their tracks. Peter and the gang of friends to which he answered were blocking their path to the playground. A girl, wearing a tailor-made frock of excellent taste, stood at the front of the group; she was clearly the ringleader of their little circus. "So, Evans, where are you off to?" the girl asked, her normally sweet voice destroyed by a vicious sneer. The girl's face, which should have been pretty, was marred with loathing.

"None of your business," Lily snapped, pulling away from Severus' side as she put her hands on her hips, an inner fire sparking in her emerald eyes. "I haven't done anything to you; why can't you just bugger off and leave me alone?" Though Severus was surprised at Lily's use of a curse word, he did not show it; instead he glared intensely at the crowd blocking their way and at Peter in particular. "You make my life abysmal in school, Nancy, why do you have to go overboard and bother me on the holidays?"

Nancy smiled and it was not the least bit appealing. "Oh, Evans," she said as though she were dealing with an absolute simpleton, "because it's fun!"

"I suppose a Neanderthal _would_ find it amusing to push its own kind around," Severus offered, folding his arms across his chest as he eyed Nancy and her gang with derision.

Nancy's face went blank and the foolish girl stammered, "a...a what?" The girl had clearly never come across the term previously. A smug smirk pulled at the corner of Severus' mouth. It always filled him with satisfaction when he proved to be more intelligent than those that looked down upon him and Lily.

"He's calling you a cave man," Peter explained, stepping forward to stand next to Lily's antagonist. "Are you going to just let him speak to you like that – a gutter rat like him?" His tone was slightly demanding, designed to goad the girl into action. Severus stared at the round boy, wondering if his understanding of _Neanderthal_ was an indication that he was much smarter than he seemed. Severus would never have expected a moron to understand the term and he had had no problem informing Lily that Peter was such intellectual slug on a previous occasion.

Peter looked in Severus' direction, watery blue eyes meeting Severus' obsidian gaze. There was something cruel, a secret malevolence in those eyes, despite their innocent rat-like appearance, and Severus found it unnerving. A wicked grin stretched on Peter's face when Nancy's face flushed with the heat of anger, her gang bristling at Severus' slight. "Get him," she snapped, her words falling from her lips like lead bombs, "and his ugly ginger friend, too." Her gang of cronies, ranging in height and bulk, stepped forward.

Lily released her hips, hands curling into fists as she took a defiant stance, clearly prepared to fight them until one or both of them were landed in the hospital with severe injuries. Severus, however, knew there was no bravery in fighting when one was dangerously outnumbered, only idiocy. Taking initiative, Severus' latched onto Lily's wrist, holding her in a vice-like grip, and turned tail and ran. Lily yelped as he dragged her along behind him, almost ripping her arm off before she managed to get her feet moving at a stable pace.

"Severus!" Lily cried, keeping pace with him easily. She glanced back over her shoulder. The bullies were thundering after them, Nancy in the lead. "We shouldn't run like cowards; we should face them head on!" The desire to turn back and slap Nancy in the face was evident in Lily's tone.

Severus let out a burst of laughter, sounding very rushed, if exhilarated. "There's no cowardice in self-preservation, Lily. We'll take them on at some other time, when we're more prepared! We've got something they don't!"

"Magic?!"

"No," Severus replied, "we've got brains!" Even as he said this, Severus made a sharp right, barrelling down the alley behind the real estate agency, pulling his red-haired friend along behind him. Severus dived behind an industrial sized bin, forcing Lily to follow him, though she let out an undignified squawk. His dark eyes flicked this way and that as he quickly formulated a plan, despite the thundering of the heard of human elephants behind them. Severus grabbed a broken hubcap, gripping it tightly with both hands.

He moved into a fighting stance, facing the edge of the bin, ready to strike the first person to come around the corner. A boy with a stocky body came around the side of the bin and Severus did not hesitate for a single moment. With a fierce battle cry, Severus swung his arms violently and the boy received a belt from the hubcap, right across the jaw. Lily gasped in shock and fright and Severus' arms shook from the shock of impact. Part of him was extremely satisfied as the boy fell backwards; sprawling hard on the ground with a groan of pain but another part of him was terrified that he would get arrested for assault.

"Hey," growled another one of Nancy and Peter's group as they came around the corner. Severus did not have a chance to lash out a second time; the hubcap was ripped from his grasp and flung aside. The second boy grabbed the collar of Severus' frockcoat and hauled him off the ground, slamming him against the wall of the agency. Lily cried out in fear for Severus, rushing forward, slapping and kicking at every inch of the boy that she could reach, which was not much; he was built like a tank.

Severus struggled against the hand pinning him to the wall, restricting his breathing. His legs were scrabbling, shoes trying to find purchase against the wall. Severus scrawled the back of the boy's hand, even as Lily was set upon by Nancy and Peter. Peter grabbed Lily's leg and yanked, hard, sending her to the ground, where Nancy pounced on her, scratching at her face and pulling her hair. Severus saw red; the bullies could do what they liked to him, but that was no way to treat a girl.

Severus' face contorted with the strength of his concentration. A telling tingle ran from the roots of his hair to the tips of his toes. He thrust his arm out towards Peter and Nancy and an explosion of undetectable energy shot out from his palm. The energy collided with Peter and Nancy, sending the pair of them flying, shouts of surprise escaping them as they hit the ground hard some distance away. Lily was left untouched by the Magic, staring at Severus in shock and gratitude and a multitude of other emotions that passed too swiftly for Severus to detect.

The boy pinning Severus to the wall looked back towards his friends and quickly released Severus, a look of terror crossing his face. "Stay away from me, Freak!" The boy fled, along with a number of others from Peter's gang of comrades, leaving Peter and Nancy to pick up the rear after vouching that they should mark their words for they would meet again. Severus, quite shaken, picked himself up from the ground and hurried over to where Lily was still sprawling across the ground.

"Lily," he enquired, reaching for her even as he stumbled to his knees at her side, "are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere? Did they –"

"I'm fine," Lily said, trying to assure him as quickly as possible that nothing life threatening had been done to her, before continuing with a soft stammer, "I'm just...I...Nancy scratched me." Severus was reaching for her cheek almost as soon as she said so, for a trickle of blood slid down her skin from a scratch near her right eye. Lily stopped him, however, pointing out the grime that was under his fingernails from touching the hubcap that had been amongst the rubbish. She gently explained her reasoning to him. "You can't touch an open wound with dirty hands; it'll get infected!"

Severus pulled back immediately, afraid to contaminate her. He stuffed his hands into his pockets as she started to get up from the ground. Severus rose to stand beside her. "You should probably go home," Severus said, ducking his head to avoid Lily's gaze. The faintest hint of a blush touched his cheekbones, which partially frustrated him. He had absolutely no idea why he blushed so much when he was around Lily. "I got you into trouble; they probably wouldn't have attacked us if I hadn't said what I said..."

Lily snorted and shook her head, her crimson mane bobbing this way and that. "Don't be stupid, Severus. They're bullies; they're going to lash out regardless of anything you say or do. Don't beat yourself up over it." She gingerly touched her cheek, checking to see how bad it was. She winced, but it did not seem to cause too much pain. Severus was glad; he would hate to have been partially at fault for something even more serious than a small scratch on her cheek. He felt no guilt for hurting the boy he had struck, however.

The boy had drawn it on himself, after all. If one was going to treat others like dirt, one should expect the same treatment in return. "Still," Severus replied, hesitating. "You're cut. We should, at least, get it seen to. Maybe we should go to the Pharmacy..."

"No," Lily said sharply, emphasising her disagreement with a violent shake of her head. "Dad can't know about this; he'd only start a drama over it, even though it's nothing..."

"It's not 'nothing' as you put it," Severus chided as the pair of them left the alley. "It is most definitely something! Those people are treating you terribly just because you're different. There's nothing wrong with being different to others; it just makes you more unique than they are!"

"Everyone's unique, Severus."

"That's just another way of saying that nobody is and I don't believe that." Severus' retort was sharp, but Lily was starting to decipher the different nuances that hinted at whether he meant to offend or whether he was generally angry about something or in reaction to someone that had bothered him. "Some people are just permanently ordinary; your sister is among them, as is that nasty girl, Nancy – I hope Karma gets her good, one day."

"Severus..." Lily began in a scolding tone. "Wishing harm on someone is no better than causing harm to them. On top of that, it usually backfires upon you. You need to start watching what you say; I don't want you to get hurt because of some Karmic justice."

Severus wanted to snap that his life was messed up enough already, but decided against it. She did not need to know how he was being treated at home; it would only upset her and he did not want that to happen. The only thing Severus wanted for Lily was that she be as happy as possible, despite his own dark attitude towards life and the world around him. He sighed and glanced at Lily, seeing that she was starting to get her normally bouncy attitude back now that the bullies had left.

"Come on," Severus said, releasing his pent up frustration with a sigh. "If you're not going to get your cheek treated, we should at least make use of the rest of the day. There's no point letting those hooligans spoil our day off." Lily smiled in agreement and the two of them left the alley, putting the real estate agency as far behind them as possible. Lily did not once express her gratitude for his help, but it did not surprise Severus – she had not wanted to use Magic against the gang of bullies in the first place.

Severus and Lily settled on the grass, lying side by side, and gazed up at the clouds together. Silence reigned for several long, comfortable minutes before Lily finally broke it. "Even though I don't agree with using it against Muggles like Nancy – even if she does bully us – I do think we should start practicing our Magic when and where we can. You can never know when it might come in handy – especially that apparition thing that you've mentioned before. It could save our lives one day."

Severus hummed his agreement, secretly thrilled that Lily wanted to share such experiences with him. He was not allowed to use Magic at home and he was technically not allowed to do so outside the house, though the Ministry turned a blind eye towards children. He relished the idea of sitting down with Lily somewhere and just focusing on bringing their Magic to a regularly useable level through constant practice and incessant determination. Severus knew that he and Lily would one day do great things, if they could master the act of using Magic on a day to day basis, without a wand...without an incantation...

To Be Continued.

Aw Sev; you never get a break, do you?


	14. Chapter 14

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Fourteen.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Notes: There are adult themes in this chapter .

**Important Notice: For extremely personal reasons I am putting my fan fictions on temporary hiatus. I am NOT abandoning this fic or the readership. Please keep that in mind when you start to get irritated about the lack of updates...**

Chapter Fourteen: Necessary Caution

Severus suffered greatly for his use of Magic against Nancy Cook, Peter and their gang – receiving many lashes from Tobias' belt when the advisory letter from the Ministry arrived – but he did not regret the action for one moment. In fact, he was quite proud of it; not only had he made a conscious use of his Magic, he had defended Lily and that was precisely what a boy should do for a girl. It showed a great deal of personal character when a boy chose whether to defend a girl or leave them to their troubles. Severus was proud that he was shaping up to be a person that Mr Evans could respect, for he was surely the same in that regard.

In light of their conversation on the day of the altercation, Lily and Severus were both eager to start practicing their Magic together, but Severus was forced to ask her to wait. He was not willing to darken Lily's mind by mentioning the lash marks on his back, but he did tell her that he had received an injury and would be forced to rest as much as possible while he healed. Lily, of course, was more than sympathetic and willing to wait as long as possible for Severus to be capable of practicing with her.

Severus was grateful that she was willing to do so, but still felt slight pangs of guilt for withholding certain truths from her. He knew she would treat him with as much kindness if he told her, but he did not like the idea of her knowing just how troublesome his household was. Lily's family might have arguments now and then, but they were not...dysfunctional like his. Darkness consumed people, once they realized it was so close to home and that was something he most certainly did not want for Lily.

A week into the month of November found Lily and Severus in the playground. The two of them were spread out in the grass, Lily on her back while Severus was sprawled on his stomach. The evenings were much darker, an indication that not only winter was coming, but the equinox as well. The air carried a wintry chill that left Severus' left arm consistently throbbing whenever he was exposed to it; but he braved the pain nevertheless in order to spend time with his only and extremely cherished friend.

There was a consolation prize, however. In front of Severus there was a bag half-filled with sweets, apples and peanuts – the result of Lily's trick-or-treating the week before. Severus had never been trick-or-treating before in his life and Lily had kindly offered to share her sweets with him, though it would mean considerably less for her. He was grateful, but still embarrassed that he had missed out on such a seemingly common thing for children his age. Lily had stared at him for some time when she had learned he had never had the chance to enjoy that particular experience and had quickly vowed that next year he would do so.

Severus reached into the bag and pulled out an apple, beautifully red and shining. He took a bite and savoured it, chewing slowly to preserve the flavour for as long as possible, before turning to look at Lily. "So," he began, "what illustrious creature did you impersonate for Halloween this year?" Severus had been asking sporadic questions about Halloween over the course of seven days, not wanting to tire out the subject too soon. The idea that it was to ward off supernatural beings – such as Vampires and Werewolf, which he knew to exist in reality – was fascinating to him.

An amused smirk tugged at the corner of Lily's mouth as she gazed up at the darkening clouds above them. "A Witch, of course," Lily replied, turning over to face Severus, "a beautiful enchantress! Mum even took me down to London to get some hair pieces from my Great Aunt. Apparently, they were handed down several generations and originated in the seventeen hundreds! Isn't that absolutely marvellous?" A happy smile was now dancing across Lily's face, highlighting the brilliance of such a revelation.

"Really?" Severus asked, clearly surprised. He found himself wondering how similar Muggle and Wizarding traditions among families really were. It would be an interesting social study, should he decide to take Muggle Studies at school in the future. "That's interesting. What did your costume look like?"

"Oh, it was a dress – Mum said it was something similar to what ladies would wear in the Renaissance era. She created the costume for me; she's exceptionally skilled with fabric and thread from what I've seen of her work. She creates my costumes every year; I'm sure she'd happy to create one for you next year!" Severus secretly doubted it; Mrs Evans did not like him in the least, something the woman had shown him on multiple occasions. He was certain Lily was just oblivious to her mother's sentiments regarding Severus.

"I think next year I'm going to go as Frodo Baggins," Lily continued the topic of discussion, earning an amused smirk from Severus. The girl was easily excitable; it was a trait that Severus had begun to find endearing of late. "It'll be brilliant, because Dad's going to go as Gandalf! He's already started carving his staff – between working at the Pharmacy and dealing with us, it should take him until next Halloween to get it finished!" Lily burst into laughter at her own attempt at humour, Severus chuckling along with her. "What are you going to go as?"

The question caught Severus off-guard. For several moments he stared at her, unsure of what to say. Finally he uttered a quiet, "I don't know. A Vampire...maybe..."

Lily snorted and shook her head. "Vampires have always been extremely over-done. Choose something fresher; a character from a book or a television series! Hardly anyone ever does those kinds of things." Severus stayed silent, absorbing all of this for future reference. He would think more on his possible choices in the months approaching Halloween of the following year. For now, he focused on his relationship with Lily and his education under the wise instruction of Mr Evans.

Sometime later the street lights came on and Severus realised just how dark it was getting. Mr and Mrs Evans would, no doubt, be frantic as to the whereabouts of their young daughter. "Come on," he said, surreptitiously glancing around at the darkness that was pressing down on them. He rose from the ground. "We'd best be getting you home; it's late." Lily pouted, a clear indication that she did not want to leave just yet, but Severus really did not give her much of a choice in the matter.

Reaching down for her, Severus hauled Lily to her feet, ignoring the flares of pain across his back as some of the lash marks tore open from the strain. "Can't we stay out just a little longer?" Lily asked, a whining tone lacing her words as she turned pleading emerald eyes on him.

"No," Severus retorted sharply. "Being out in the dark is dangerous, Lily! First, you have Muggle villains who could do any number of terrible things to us if we were caught and then you have various nefarious creatures from the Wizarding World to contend with. It's not wise to stay out much longer. In truth, I should have escorted you home an hour ago, by rights!"

"I don't need you to escort me anywhere," Lily snapped, wrenching her arm for Severus' grip when he started to pull her towards the kissing gate. "I'm quite capable of walking home on my own."

"What if I left you to walk home alone and something happened to you?" Severus demanded, even as the two of them left the playground, walking quite close together through the darkness. "How could I ever forgive myself afterwards? How could your parents ever forgive me? Did you even think of that?"

"Oh, don't be so paranoid! This is _Cokeworth_, Severus, not London; nothing would happen to me."

A vein throbbed in Severus' forehead at Lily's obvious lack of regard for her personal safety, in spite of the intimidating darkness that surrounded them. "It's not paranoia," Severus defended testily. "It's necessary caution. Bad things happen everywhere, Lily; not just in our nation's capital. It's disregard for safety, like yours, that leads to the countless abductions you hear about on the news. Walking in dark alleys, being out late, not locking the doors; it's ridiculously appalling," he finished in a huff.

Lily said nothing in response, but Severus could tell that she was still silently fuming. Severus walked her home at a brisk pace, regardless of the burning sensation that grew within his calves. It was imperative that he get her home, before heading home himself; she was so much more important than an impoverished, ugly boy like himself. They reached the end of Lily's street in good time; in the distance, Mr Evans was just coming out of the house, heading for the car. It was clear that he was about to go searching for Lily.

Lily and Severus stopped at the end of the street. "Go on, then," he said, not willing to go further in case Mr Evans had a few choice words to say to him. "Stop him before he leaves the drive." Lily, apparently over her disagreement with him, smiled and took off, dashing down the path towards the house...towards Mr Evans, her doting father who embraced her tightly as soon as she came into his line of sight. Watching them embrace so tightly, Mr Evans burying his face into Lily's hair as she rested her head on his shoulder, Severus felt a pang of jealousy.

_I wish my father loved me like that,_ a traitorous voice whispered in Severus' head. Severus' eyes stung suspiciously, but he blinked it away quickly. He was most certainly not in danger of weeping; it was likely a result of the night air. Severus tucked a lock of his limp hair behind his ear and turned away from the sight, walking quickly towards his own home. He hated the jealous streak that kept cropping up within him; he was meant to be grateful for what he had – friendship, education and a mother that loved him in her own way. He should not judge himself based on the relationships that others had and yet he could not seem to help himself whenever he was a witness to Lily and Mr Evans' obvious love for each other.

Severus kept his hands stuffed in his frockcoat pockets as he hurriedly walked, making use of what little warmth the fabric carried. His feet, legs and face were cold enough, judging by the numbing sensation travelling through the lengths of his limbs. He quickened his pace; he wanted to reach home as quickly as possible. He did not want to come down with pneumonia and add more expenses to his parents' financial plate; Tobias would only take his subsequent anger out on Severus and Eileen.

Severus was almost at Spinner's End when the hairs on the back of his neck rose. All he could hear was the wind rushing past him, gathering speed – a storm was likely coming – and his own blood pounding in his ears. His breath left him in plumes of white mist. There was something not quite right about the area; Severus could feel it as clearly as he had felt Tobias' anger five years previously. Severus kept moving, casting his gaze this way and that, trying to determine where this bad feeling was emanating from.

Something twig-like snapped behind him, almost sending Severus' heart into palpitations. Severus' whirled around, his heart leaping into his throat as the looming figure of Tobias Snape was revealed. The man was within touching distant and his anger was almost palpable. Severus jerked backwards, trying to get away from him, but there was not much he could do. Tobias caught a fistful of his hair, hauling him backwards, earning a choked cry of pain from Severus. "Papa, don't," Severus pleaded. "We're in public!"

Tobias, however, was beyond caring. "What gives you the right to be out at all hours?" The words were demanding and harsh, hinting at his inner cruel nature. "Your mother said you were to come home as soon as the Pharmacy closed! That was hours ago! Honour thy father and mother, boy!" Severus almost groaned; Tobias now had vocalized a legitimate reason to punish him, even if the man was exaggerating for his own ends. Tobias marched towards their house, dragging Severus in his wake.

Pain pulsated through Severus' scalp. He was certain that Tobias was near to ripping the hair right out of his head. "Please," Severus begged, trying not to struggle too hard. "Papa, please! I didn't mean to stay out! I lost track of time! I was talking to someone – a...a...a friend!"

"You don't have any friends," Tobias snarled, pulling the front door of their house open. He virtually threw Severus inside, causing him to stumble and fall to the floor, his scalp aching. "Nobody would want to spend time with a stinking, ugly, freak like you!" Tobias slammed the door shut, causing the frame to rattle. Severus scrambled to his feet, whirling around to keep Tobias in his sights as he backed away. "You must not tell lies, boy!" The man was practically shouting now and the sound of it sent a jolt of fear to Severus' heart.

"I wasn't, Papa, I –"

Severus cried out when Tobias' hand collided with his face, sending him sprawling to the floor, his head thumping hard against the wooden surface. Stars danced across Severus' vision, but he tried his best to start crawling away from his father, who was now in a towering rage. "Don't answer me back, boy!" Tobias' visage swam into Severus' swirling vision; it was a frightening sight. His heart pounding in his chest, his breath coming in short, sharp gasps, Severus reacted on instinct. He kicked Tobias' hard in the shin.

Tobias stumbled back at the surprising force of it, having to grab the banister of the stairs to regain his balance. "You little bastard," Tobias growled, ready to lunge at him as Severus struggled to his feet, his head spinning. He was certain that he was now suffering from a heavy concussion. Severus stumbled backwards, to avoid Tobias' grasping hands, and fell to the floor once more, managing to save himself from another knock to the head. Tobias was almost upon him when hurried steps reached Severus' ears.

Eileen loomed into view, clad in her usual mannish attire. "Tobias, please," she urged, grabbing the man's arm and holding tight, trying to stay his blows. "He's just a boy!" Tobias wrenched his arm free and struck her, hard, sending her reeling back.

"He's not just a boy," Tobias spat as he towered over the slightly cowering form of his large-nosed wife. "He's devil-spawn!" Severus flinched at the term as his head began to clear; it was one Tobias had used on many occasions. "Just like his ugly bitch of a mother!" Eileen's shoulders shook at the slight, her hand rising to cover her face. Severus filled with anger at the insult towards his mother, knowing very well that that was no way to speak to a woman, regardless of social status or abilities. Tobias raised a hand to strike her a second time.

"Don't treat Mum that way, you..._you filthy Muggle!_" The words ripped out of Severus, a virtual yell as his face flushed red. A tingle went through his system and a burst of white light exploded from Severus' hand, which he had raised threateningly. His father was struck with a _Stinging Hex_. Tobias jerked backwards, reaching for his swelling cheek instinctively. The man suddenly turned on Severus, his own face purpling with unbridled fury. Severus knew he was in trouble immediately.

Severus ran, ducking under Tobias' arms, fleeing up the stairs. Even running full throttle was not quick enough to escape his father's ire. Tobias caught him halfway up the stairs, arms wrapping around his middle as he hauled him into the air. Severus kicked and scratched and squirmed but nothing could release him from Tobias' vice-like grip. His father carried him up the stairs and into the bathroom, dropping him like a sack of potatoes into the bathtub. The man began divesting him of his clothes, ignoring Severus' struggles and cries for mercy.

Severus virtually screamed when his blood-sodden shirt was ripped from his re-healing wounds. Blood ran down his back in streams, staining the bathtub. When Tobias could remove no more garments from Severus' dangerously thin, pale body, he reached for the soap and the shower hose. A violent spray of icy water hit Severus, hard. It knocked the wind out of him even as it stabbed him all over his body. He tried to get out of the way, but the hose followed him, ensuring that he was hit with every ounce of the water pressure.

Distracted as he was by the continuous rush of water into his face and torso, he did not notice Tobias' quick approach until it was too late. His father rammed the bar of soap into Severus' mouth, which was gaping in an effort to find some air while his nose was perpetually blocked by the surge of water. Severus convulsed, trying to spit the soap back out but it was futile; Tobias had his hand clamped over Severus' mouth. He could no longer breathe while under these conditions. Involuntarily, his body started to thrash in the bathtub, his lungs burning in his chest, his eyes rolling in panic.

Severus was convinced he would die and was ready to give up when Tobias pulled away, turning the water off. Severus collapsed, his body trembling, his limbs twitching. He spat the half-dissolved bar of soap out of his mouth and closed his eyes as he coughed and hacked, spitting out reams of suds. Though he had suffered, Severus did not regret coming to the defence of his mother...

To Be Continued

Aw, Sev... Feel free to let me know what you think guys.


	15. Chapter 15

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Fifteen.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Notes: Hello, all. I am happy to say that my reasons for putting my Fictions on Hiatus have been greatly diminished, so here is a reward for your patience. ^_^ Oh, and thanks for reading and reviewing, my lovely readers. This one's a little bit shorter than normal, but not by much. Enjoy!

Chapter Fifteen: Scare 

_A heavy weight pushed at him, clawed at him, ignoring the thrashing of his flailing pale limbs. The distorted surface of the water was no more than two inches away from him and yet it was so incredibly out of his reach. He fought, hands slapping, nails scrawling at flesh and hair and demonic eyes that were black, as if they had been scorched by the flames of hell itself. Spots were dancing across his vision. His lungs were burning up. He needed air with his whole being. His body cried out for it. He was not going to make it..._

With a strangled cry of terror Severus jerked erect in his bed, chest heaving painfully. There were tears in his eyes, threatening to spill down his ashen cheeks. He was shaking with fright as his breath came in rapid, shallow pants. He had been having the same recurring nightmare every night for the past three weeks, ever since that night in the bathroom when Tobias had sprayed him with ice water and stuffed his mouth with a bar of soap. No matter what he did he could not shake them. His sleep was always restless, the nightmare waking him three or four times a night.

The standard of his studies was slipping, his marks plummeting like a rock thrown into the ocean. He could hardly concentrate on anything for more than a moment at a time. Even when he would sit on the grass with Lily, at the playground, his mind would wander and his eyes would swivel around like those of a frightened bird on the lookout for an enemy. Mr Evans and Lily were both baffled, asking him questions that he could not answer for fear of what Tobias would do if he ever found out.

The tears eventually slipped free of his eyelashes and, pulling his knees up to his chest in a tight embrace, Severus began to weep. He stayed as quiet as he could; he did not want to disturb his parents' slumber down the hall, despite the rising of the sun outside the curtained window. His tears fell almost endlessly, streaming down his cheeks and the length of his large crooked nose. He rubbed at his cheeks furiously as he cried, trying to destroy the horrible evidence of his weakness.

He could not stop his quiet sobbing for the life of him, despite knowing that big boys like him were not supposed to give into their urges to cry. The tears that had seeped through his nasal passages near his tear ducts were now on their way down his nostrils, causing him to sniffle as his nose started running. Severus' breathing was now desperately choked up and he started coughing. The coughs were deep, wet and hacking, seeming to force their way right up from his lungs, accompanied by rusty sputum.

He hated to think that he was still ill. For the week following the spray of ice water in the bathtub Severus had been bogged down with a heavy cold. Severus had barely been able to walk to the Pharmacy; his body had been just so lethargic. His sinuses had been blocked, his nose had been runny and his eyes had looked as though they had been punched, according to Lily. Tobias had not allowed Eileen to supply him with _Pepper Up_ – a fast and effective relief – but the symptoms had disappeared in their own time, however. Were they now coming back worse than they had been previously? Severus hoped not.

Suddenly a wave of nausea washed over him as his abdomen gurgled and cramped harshly. Severus clutched at his belly, his tears forgotten with the strength of his shock. Barely having time to realise what was happening with his body, he scrambled out of bed and ran for the bathroom, locking the door behind him. He was glad that his bedroom was located so near to the bathroom; it would have been mortifying to soil himself – and horrifying as well, for Tobias, when he learned of it, would have thought it was done out of spite and would have punished him terribly.

When he was finished in the bathroom he washed his hands thoroughly and returned to his bedroom. Still sniffling after his momentary indulgence of his weakness, he dressed, his hands shaking as they fumbled with his clothes. His teeth were chattering for some unfathomable reason, though there were beads of sweat clinging to his forehead, indicating that he was quite warm. He headed downstairs, clinging to the banister. Something was sapping his strength out of him; all he wanted to do was return to bed and sleep.

Severus did not feel up for having breakfast, so he composed a note on a spare bit of parchment and left it upon the table for his mother to read when she woke. He slipped out of the house, into the early morning light. His teeth were perpetually chattering and his limbs were wracked with shivers, but it did not matter. He was just glad to be getting out of the house; he hated being at home while Tobias was around. Severus walked away from the house, heading in the general direction of the Pharmacy, though it was early yet.

Severus took his time and yet he was baffled to find himself in a bog of sweat, the salty moisture running in rivulets down his face and soaking into his clothes. He could not fathom it. These were not the symptoms he had suffered when he had been hit with a heavy cold, but he supposed he had to make do with whatever work his white blood cells were doing; it was not as if he could seek out medical attention. Severus kept going; a bit of sweat could never stop him from reaching the Pharmacy – one of only two places where Severus truly felt at home. The other location was the playground.

He was only a few streets away when another wave of nausea struck him, followed by that terribly familiar gurgle and cramping. His face flushed red and he broke into a run. He had to reach the Pharmacy before he soiled himself in public or he would suffer the most unseemly humiliation! He squeezed his eyes shut as he ran, his arms swinging at his sides. The sweat came in buckets, his limbs shook, but he kept running. It was imperative that he reach the Pharmacy; theirs was the only lavatory available to him.

His need was so tremendous that he did not immediately realise that a tingle of energy shot down from the roots of his hair to his toes, signifying the use of accidental magic. He heard a loud crack of displaced air and opened his eyes, only to see the door of the bathroom at the Pharmacy seconds away from impacting harshly with his nose. He grabbed the handle and flung the door open, diving inside, kicking the door shut, to make use of the available lavatory. His abdomen would not stop cramping; it was incredibly painful.

Severus had absolutely no idea what illness he could possibly have – he knew next to nothing about Muggle illnesses. When he was finished in the lavatory, he washed his hands as thoroughly as he had earlier. His chest was paining him, getting worse with every fast and shallow breath he took. He could not seem to get control of his breathing, no matter what he tried. He opened the door and made his way out into the main room of the Pharmacy, stumbling as a wave of dizziness came over him.

The room started spinning nauseatingly. He reached for the counter, trying to stabilise himself...but it was further away than he had previously thought. He missed it by mere inches as the room waltzed around him, falling forwards. His vision went black before he even hit the floor, his consciousness vanishing from the surface. He had no thoughts, no feelings as he lay under the suffocating darkness that had swallowed him whole. He had no idea that his heart was racing within the walls of his chest or that his sweat was continuing to pour out of him as his skin grew yet paler.

Severus knew nothing for some time, until echoes of reality began to creep in upon the darkness, pulling at his consciousness, beckoning him. There were voices, whispering around him, distorted beyond recognition. He had to concentrate on these scraps of conversation and in doing so he brought himself closer to the surface. The voices were clearer now, more distinct, though their words were still beyond him. He wanted to know what they were saying, but his concentration slipped out of his grasp and he fell once more into darkness.

When at last those whispers returned to him, he grabbed them and held on tight. He refused to let go. He refused to give into yet another abominable weakness. The voices grew louder as he came closer to the surface. At last, he could hear the voices without too much difficulty. He recognised the voice that spoke currently and the knowledge of who it was sent a wave of warmth through his heart and limbs. "He...he could have died...? Why didn't he tell anyone that he was sick...?" The words were barely more than a whisper, but Severus heard them and he held them in his heart.

"He might not have been showing any symptoms, Mr Evans. Pneumonia can be a silent killer at times. If he had been feeling out of sorts, he might very well have thought it to be nothing – children can be quite foolish. Do you have any recollection of him being sick in the past few months?" This person was clearly a doctor or nurse – it did not really matter to Severus. The only person that mattered to Severus in that moment was Mr Evans, whose warmth and affection touched his very soul.

"Two weeks ago he had a cold but...but it was just a damned cold!" The green-eyed man was growing testy now, his emotions getting the better of him. Severus relished the idea that his wellbeing could affect the man so greatly, though it certainly scared him a little, too. Angry men were not to be trifled with, Severus had learned. "How could a simple cold lead to...to this?!"

"His immune system must have been severely compromised. We've run a number of tests; he is deficient in a wide variety of vitamins and vital minerals." There was a pause, filled with subtext that Severus was too tired to decipher. "Judging by his stature, pallid complexion and lifeless hair, he is extremely malnourished. He's incredibly lucky that he hasn't fallen ill previously; I can't fathom how he might have managed such a feat, if I'm being perfectly honest with you, Mr Evans."

"I'm doing the best I can," Mr Evans replied, his voice tight with some unnameable emotion. "He gets as much healthy, nutritious foods as I can get him to eat at lunch time and my daughter, Lily, takes him out into the sunshine daily. His family's situation isn't the best – though I know he'd kill me if he ever knew I said as much – but he tries to be a big boy and cope with a situation that isn't his fault and we help him as much as possible." There was something soft and urgent in his tone, then. "We...I...I love him very much."

Severus had no idea why Mr Evans had said such a thing, but he treasured it for all that it was worth to him. Very few people loved him and even fewer would willingly admit it; even his mother's side of the family had turned their back on him, though he had no idea why. Eileen had refused to give answers to his numerous queries on the subject. The...medical examiner, for lack of a better term, cleared his throat. "I think the little man is awake," the man said pointedly. So, he was.

Severus' hand twitched at his side, the scratchy linen sheets scraping against his skin. His eyelids fluttered against his pale cheeks, before dragging upwards, revealing the enlarged pupils and dark irises irises of a partially frightened boy. Mr Evans was by his side in an instant, hands finding Severus' arm without effort. His green eyes gazed down at Severus with so much warmth and affection that it took the boy's breath away – an easy feat, considering his condition. "You gave me quite a scare," Mr Evans said earnestly.

"What...what happened?" Severus asked, though he was afraid to know. His eyes started drifting closed again; he was so unimaginably tired. Merely opening his eyes and asking a question had sapped his energy. He clung to the moment, however, forcing himself to stay awake.

"You blacked out during a fever, Mr Snape," the medical examiner replied. Though he did not look in the man's direction, he gave the man his full attention with his ears and thoughts. "You are suffering from a severe case of bacterial pneumonia, which may have infiltrated your system before or during the time you suffered from a cold. We'll have to keep you in overnight; your immune system is too vulnerable for us to let you leave just yet. We will take excellent care of you."

Severus eyed the man suspiciously, despite the seemingly earnest assurance. He did not like hospitals, nor did he trust them. There was also the fact that his family could not afford a hospital stay, regardless of his condition. "I don't care what I have; I'm not staying here. You can't make me." He glared at the medical examiner with what little strength he had.

"Severus...please," Mr Evans pleaded, squeezing his arm affectionately. "Let the hospital staff take care of you, for me. Once you're well again, you'll be able to leave and you can come and have dinner with me and Lily! We'll take you out for a celebratory supper!" There was quiet enthusiasm and encouragement laced in every word that Mr Evans uttered, but it was his emerald eyes that proved to be Severus' undoing. He caved to the man's wishes and consented to staying overnight, though officially that was supposed to be his parents' decision.

Clearly they had decided to jump over obstacles, rather than tackle them head on. Severus was partially pleased; he did not want to get his parents involved more than necessary. It was already horrendous enough that Mr Evans would have to explain his situation to them. Hopefully Tobias would not put up too much of a fuss where he was concerned – Mr Evans might have his suspicions about Tobias, but he had no hard evidence to suggest Severus was being treated too terribly at home.

That was just the way Severus wanted it. He could not imagine anyone finding out such scandalous information about their household. Perish the very thought of it. Severus turned his face away from Mr Evans, his teeth chattering once more. His fever was rising again, obviously. He did not know what to make of it at all; he could not tell whether he was pleased or displeased and that, frankly, left him tired and confused. He did not fight the call of unconsciousness when it beckoned this time, but slipped into it peacefully, his arm still held in Mr Evans' hands.

The silence...the darkness was blissful. He suffered from no dreams while under its influence and it left his soul feeling pleasant, though he was not aware of it. The night terrors did not come for him as they usually did and so his body managed to catch up on some of its lost rest while he remained unconscious. The bags under his eyes became less defined, the tightness of his mouth lessened. The endless throb of fear that had engulfed his thoughts was nowhere to be found.

He was safe...he was whole and it was all because Severus, due to his father's treatment, had managed to come down with something. It was amazing what an unforeseeable event could do for a boy such as him...

To Be Continued.

Feel free to leave your thoughts on this narrative. I'd love to hear your thoughts. ^_^ 


	16. Chapter 16

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Sixteen.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

**Anonymous Review Replies: ** To RB; Yes, Peter Pettigrew is a Pureblood. I put him in the first volume as an antagonist because the Cokeworth page on the HP Wiki lists Peter Pettigrew as a former resident of Cokeworth, but doesn't specify whether that was during his childhood or adulthood. I'm not particularly fond of the idea of his stint as Snape's servant being considered "permanent residency," because it was much more like being "in captivity." As for his treatment of Lily, it is noticeably less severe than his and the Marauders' treatment of Severus (her BEST FRIEND, which should count for something) during their Hogwarts years. And we all know what happened there. Lily could have easily defended herself; she was just "too noble" to use her powers against people she knew/thought to be Muggles. Her reactions after the tree branch incident suggests that she is a lot more in control of her magic than a normal child would be and has very few "accidental" bouts of magic. If Lily can believe James and Sirius pulled a new leaf, it wouldn't surprise me if she thought Peter did the same. I've also thought of way to explain his treatment of her, when their at Hogwarts, so it'll make a bit more sense then. In regards to your question about it being AU, it will follow canon insofar as it can, considering we know next to nothing about Severus outside of what Harry has experienced/viewed. It will have an AU ending, however, because we all know what happens and I don't like it...

Author's Notes: Hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter and thanks to all those who commented/reviewed and followed. ^_^ On with the show.

Chapter Sixteen: Fisticuffs 

Severus was forced to stay in the hospital for more than that one night, in the end. When he was finally released he could not have been more grateful or relieved. He was pleased to escape the constant questions from the nurse, who had found it highly suspicious that his parents had not come. The woman brought him a flower every day to try to make him feel better. Her actions, however, did quite the opposite; he grew increasingly frustrated. He abhorred the notion of people _pitying_ him. He did not want people to do anything of the sort.

His stay at the hospital did have its perks, however. Every night Lily and Mr Evans and Mr Young would come in to see him during the evening visiting hours. His presence was quite missed at the Pharmacy, they informed him. Mr Young bought him a box of chocolates and a teddy bear, which held a _Get Better Soon_ love heart in its chubby arms. Lily knitted him a green scarf – with some help from her reluctant mother – to help keep him warm when he was released and to help keep her in his thoughts whenever he was feeling lonely. Mr Evans would climb onto the hospital bed, seat himself behind Severus, allow the boy to rest against him and read aloud from _The Magician's Nephew_ by CS Lewis.

Severus treasured those aspects of his forced captivity greatly. That he was missed, that he was thought of, that he was cherished, left him feeling warm and fuzzy...and loved. He cherished the idea that he was loved by these kind, thoughtful people for whom social status meant nothing. It made his nights at the hospital seem less lonely, less irritating but he still found himself wishing that he could be released. He was almost better; the nausea, diarrhoea, chest pains and other symptoms had lessened considerably since he had started taking the powerful antibiotics the hospital had put him on.

Though the doctor informed Severus that he would be released that very day, he was forced to wait until late evening. Mr Evans and Lily would be coming to collect him at the end of Mr Evans' working day. Severus did not mind waiting in this case, knowing he would at least escape the depressing environment of the hospital, the halls of which smelled of illness and despair. Though it was now the fifth of December, the hospital did not carry any of the atmosphere that usually accompanied people at such a time of year.

When Mr Evans and Lily finally arrived, he was surprised to see the man was carrying a bag with him. "Hello, Severus," he said warmly as he came through the door of the Children's ward, which was empty save for the bed on which Severus sat on. Lily followed close after him, dressed up warmly in a synthetic fur coat, gloves, hat and scarf. _It must be frightfully cold outside_, Severus thought, briefly eyeing her. "Happy to be going home today?" Severus thought it was a rather stupid question, but he knew that people often asked stupid questions.

"Yes," Severus replied simply, after waving in greeting at Lily. "What's in the bag?" His curiosity always got the better, even if it was sometimes rude to pry. He and Lily had that in common, something which Mr Evans had remarked as being quite unfortunate in a joking manner on a previous occasion.

Mr Evans smiled and ruffled Severus' hair affectionately, before opening the bag. "I knew you were being released today, so I thought I'd get you something – well, a few things really – to celebrate that fact." Mr pulled a number of clothes hangers out of bag, attached to which were a number of garments. The blood drained from Severus' face and his eyes widened in absolute horror. A tiny gasp escaped him. Mr Evans looked up from what he was doing, a shoe box in his hand. "Hey, what's the matter?"

"Take them away," Severus said, shifting away from the growing pile of clothes – an entire outfit that included socks, underwear, trousers, shirt, coat, gloves and a hat. Mr Evans frowned, troubled. It was clear the man had thought Severus would jump on them with a grin. "I can't accept any of this!" Lily watched the interaction in silence, but she was not surprised – Severus always had trouble accepting simple things like sweets and chocolates from her. "Bring them back to the shop..."

With a sigh Mr Evans sat down at the edge of the bed. "Severus, I know you don't want to accept them; I knew that you wouldn't even when I was in the middle of buying them. You have a deep sense of personal pride for a boy your age and I understand that." Mr Evans looked at him seriously, his tone indicating that he was talking to him as if he were older than he was. "But sometimes...even the most prideful of us have to step back and realise that the people who care about us want to make sure that we have the best of what they can give them. Sometimes...you have to swallow your pride."

Severus stared at the man who had become so much like a father figure to him. He could hardly comprehend the idea of swallowing his pride – it was one of the few things he had left. He did _not_ want people to think he some sort of _charity_. The thought of people doing so was tremendously horrifying to him. Severus rubbed the back of his neck and dropped his gaze, a frown crossing his face. He sat in silence for several moments, forcing himself to think it over. Eventually, he looked up, swallowing thickly, and said, "Okay."

"Excellent! Lily and I will wait outside while you get dressed. Give us a shout when you're done." Mr Evans proceeded to usher Lily out the door, pulling it closed, leaving Severus alone in the ward. Muttering to himself, Severus rose from the bed and dressed. He was surprised to find that everything fitted him rather well and he had t wonder if Mr Evans had been snooping around in his wardrobe at home. Even the shoes were well-picked. It could have been a bit of luck on the man's part, of course. Severus knew he was observant.

Before pulling the coat on, Severus reached into the bedside cabinet and pulled out the green scarf that Lily had knitted him. He wrapped it around his neck, savouring the feel of the soft wool. Picking up the teddy bear that Mr Young had given him, his cheeks tinged with red at owning so many new things, Severus headed out of the ward. "I'm ready," he said, catching Mr Evans and Lily's attention. Mr Evans turned to him and a smile bloomed on his face as he took in Severus' appearance, garbed as he was in the new clothes. "Thank you, Mr...Harry." Severus was still dreadfully unused to addressing him by his given name. Lily grinned and hurried over, throwing her arms around him in a tight embrace.

"You're welcome," Mr Evans replied brightly. "Now, let's go sign the release papers, son." Mr Evans offered his hand to Severus and the boy took it. Lily took Severus' other hand in hers and the three of them made their way down the corridor, towards the reception area, where the doctor who had been treating Severus was getting the release papers ready. He must have known that Mr Evans had arrived before Severus did. Mr Evans signed the papers without much preamble – Severus, being a minor, was not legally capable of signing the papers.

Once the deed had been done, Mr Evans ushered the pair of them out into the winter chill. Severus let out a gasp of surprise, earning a light chuckle from Lily's father. Snow was falling from the clouds above, whirling around Severus as it danced on the light breeze that accompanied the seasonal weather. The cold bit at Severus' nose and cheeks and his left arm, but he paid it no mind. He was far too preoccupied with the feel of snow brushing against his skin in a friendly caress, before getting trapped in his hair.

The sight and feel of the snow mystified Severus. He had never had the chance to experience it before. The snow did not last, however. It had rained earlier and every time a snowflake touched the wet ground it melted. Each death of a snowflake threatened to break Severus' heart. His first experience with snow could not last long enough for him to experience throwing snowballs with Lily or building snowmen with Mr Evans. The man in question led Severus and Lily towards the car and kindly opened the frostbitten car door for them.

Severus allowed Lily to climb into the backseat before him – _Ladies first_, Mr Evans had always said. They strapped themselves in as Mr Evans climbed into the driver's seat, pulling the door shut sharply. Lily leaned slightly towards Severus and rested her head upon his shoulder. His cheeks flushed with colour as he glanced sideways at Lily's crimson head of hair. He reached for her hand and she took it without question, squeezing affectionately. They were both grateful he had not died of his fever the day he had collapsed in the Pharmacy.

Mr Evans never questioned how Severus had managed to get inside the building without a key – of which Mr Evans and Mr Young both had a copy and both had been accounted for. Not that Mr Evans would have accused Severus of stealing; the man knew he was not that kind of boy. Sometimes he wondered whether Lily had taken the liberty to try to explain the kind of people that she and Severus were to him, but he often waved the idea away. A Muggle would have trouble believing their child when something like Magic was the subject. Oftentimes it required the presence of a Wizarding adult to explain the situation.

Severus supposed it did not matter. The only thing that mattered was that Mr Evans did not believe him to be some kind of criminal. Severus eyed the passing buildings on the other side of the window. Mr Evans was not taking him home yet; it seemed the man was planning on fulfilling his promise of a celebratory meal. Severus' heart warmed at the prospect. He always enjoyed getting to spend some quality time with Lily and Mr Evans...as if he were truly a member of their family.

The meal went swimmingly. They were served by a kind older woman, who kept smiling at Mr Evans in a decidedly more than friendly manner. Severus could understand why. Mr Evans was a handsome man, after all. The man took it in his stride, never once giving her the impression that he was available but he did not go so far as to be unkind to her because of her interest. His wedding band glinted in the warm light of the restaurant when he handed her their menus after they had finished ordering. Severus found it amusing to see her mentally back-peddle as soon as she saw it.

_Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife. _The skin under Severus' left eye twitched infinitesimally as the familiar words flashed across his mind. They were just seven words, but it had been one of the many phrases that were snarled at him by Tobias during a beating – all in the effort to educate him of his father's belief system, of course. The man taught him the rules of his religion, but not much else; he had preferred to leave him ignorant of it all. Mr Evans never taught him about religion and Severus could not be more grateful for the fact.

Severus did not think he could have handled reading a bible and seeing the same words spouted all over its pages. He liked to believe that there was no such thing as God. If he existed, the truth would be all too painful for him. It was bad enough that his father was a drunken lout that abused Severus and his mother, without knowing that the being – who was supposed to love all of his children equally – clearly hated him, judging by the way he always ignored Severus' silent pleas for help and allowed him and his mother to be treated like garbage.

It did not matter too much to him, however. Whatever people chose to believe was their business, as what he chose to believe was his. So long as no one rubbed their beliefs in his face, expecting him to conform to what they wished, he did not care in the slightest. Lily, for example, he had learned, was very religious, but she did not preach her beliefs to anyone else, nor did she care that Severus was not too fond of the whole idea. He was grateful for that. Severus would have hated it if something so _trivial_ managed to get in the way of their friendship.

For dinner, both Mr Evans and Lily enjoyed a steak, while Severus had some roast pork. Dessert followed and Severus enjoyed that the most, for he had never before experienced a banana split. Between the abundant fruit, ice cream and fresh cream, it was absolutely delicious. Lily enjoyed a vanilla milkshake, slurping it greedily with her straw, her cheeks tinged with red and her green eyes sparkling with happiness. It was a remarkable sight, Severus thought, and he treasured it fondly.

When the meal was finished, Mr Evans paid for it and the three of them made their way back out to the car. Mr Evans dropped Lily home, before heading for Spinner's End. Severus' stomach knotted at the thought of returning to Tobias' house, but he really had little choice in the matter. He could beg Mr Evans to let him stay at the Evans' household, but his mother would panic and the Bobbies would be called and Mr Evans could be held accountable for child abduction. It would be blown entirely out proportion and Severus did not want to bring that kind of trouble to Mr Evans' door.

Mr Evans pulled up to the curb and parked, before climbing out of the car, pulling the door open for Severus. Severus climbed out of the car, gripping his teddy bear so tightly the head was threatening to pop off. Mr Evans rested his hand on Severus' shoulder and squeezed lightly, as if to say; _everything will be fine, you'll see_. Mr Evans encouraged Severus to precede him to the door, where the man knocked sharply upon the hard wooden surface. For several moments, there was no movement within, but at last the door was pulled open by none other than Eileen Snape.

Severus embraced her immediately. He relished the feel of her scratchy second-hand robes against his cheek and hands as he squeezed his eyes shut. He had missed this, missed _her_ immensely during his brief incarceration at the hospital. He briefly felt her hand touch the back of his head, an affectionate greeting that said nothing to the world but had a world of meaning to him. He tilted his head back and gazed up at his mother's face. She did not look too pleased to see Mr Evans – and Severus was not surprised, for the remnants of a bruise lingered upon her cheek and around her eye.

"Good evening, Mr Evans," she said politely in greeting, though her expression was guarded. "Thank you for looking after my son. I don't...I wish...Is there anything I can do to repay you for your kindness?"

"Other than a spot of tea, not really," Mr Evans replied, his nose crinkling slightly. "I didn't do it to get repayment; I did it because I care about Severus."

Eileen hesitated for a moment, before stepping back, drumming her fingertips against the door's surface, indicating her nervousness. "Come in, then." Mr Evans stepped inside, closing the door behind him, and allowed Eileen and Severus to lead him into the kitchen. Severus could tell that he was discreet in his observations of their household, clearly trying not to cause offence over the dark, dreary, lifeless house that was no more a home than the inside of a dusty, mouldy unused trunk.

Eileen gestured for Mr Evans to take a seat at the kitchen table, before she pottered around the kitchen, making tea the Muggle way – the only way that was allowed in their household. Severus followed him, choosing a chair quite close to Mr Evans' side. The man glanced sideways at him, offering a warm smile. While they waited, Mr Evans managed to coax Severus into engaging in a few rounds of arm wrestling, which Severus found pointless. He played, however, to make Mr Evans happy.

Severus was relieved when Eileen placed two sturdy cups of steaming tea down on the table, followed by a jar of sugar, a carton of milk and a spoon. In silence, Mr Evans and Eileen attended to their tea, adding sugar and milk to suit their own tastes. The silence was uncomfortable; no one knew quite what to say to break the silence that permeated the room. Mr Evans had almost drained his entire cup of tea when there was a disturbance in the hallway; the front door was opened so viciously that it slapped harshly against the wall, rattling an antique plate, which hung on the other side of it.

"I think you should leave," Eileen quickly whispered, an earnest tone to her voice, her hand tightening around her tea cup, as if she were ready to hurl it across the room at a moment's notice.

It was too late, however. "Who owns that fancy Jaguar out front?" Tobias demanded, lurching around corner. "If you're whoring around, Bitch, I'll make you regret it! _If a man is found sleeping with another man's wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die_!" He was as much of a drunken lout as he always was, Severus noted, before dropping his gaze. He was not certain he wanted to witness Tobias' reaction to knowing Mr Evans had gained entry to their house.

Eileen's normally pale cheeks reddened furiously and she cast her gaze away from her guest, hands tightening around her cup to the point where it threatened to shatter in her very grip. Severus' hands curled into fists in his lap – he hated when Tobias cast aspersions upon his mother's character in such a horrendous way. That he was doing so in front of Mr Evans made the event all the more horrible for him. Mr Evans bristled indignantly, but he said nothing. It was best not to intrude on family matters.

Tobias' gaze landed on Mr Evans and his face contorted, as if he had just bit into a rather bitter lemon. "Ah, it's _you_, then. What're you doing here?" Though the man's words were slurred, it was easy enough for everyone involved to mentally translate even as he spoke to them.

"He brought Severus home from the hospital," Eileen quickly supplied, not wanting Mr Evans to get caught up in anything unpleasant.

Tobias cast his bleary gaze around the kitchen, until it landed on Severus. The man's eyes narrowed in a glare at the sight of him, causing Severus to shift in his chair. He was beyond uncomfortable with Mr Evans seeing how Tobias treated him. "Congratulations on being a stubborn bloody mule and not dying," the man said, a derisive sneer curling the man's mouth. Tobias stomped out of the kitchen without a backwards glance. His footsteps could be heard mounting the staircase.

An uncomfortable moment of silence passed, before Mr Evans eventually broke it. "Pardon me, Madam, but may please I use your facilities?" Severus and Eileen both looked up in surprise, before the latter nodded in ascent. She supplied the man with directions in a quiet voice. Mr Evans slipped out of the kitchen and headed up stairs, his steps much quicker than those of the man who had preceded him. Two or three minutes had passed when they heard a muffled thump emanate from upstairs.

Severus immediately offered to investigate, heading up the stairs, teddy bear still clutched in his hand. He froze at the top, however, for a horrifying and wonderful sight met him. Tobias was pinned against the wall, his nose broken and bleeding and his eye blackened. "Listen to me, you fucker; I'm not messing around," Mr Evans growled, clearly enraged, his fist tightly gripping the collar of Tobias' beer-stained shirt. Mr Evans' face was contorted with a fury that Severus had never known the man to express. "If you dare speak to Severus in front of me like that again, I'll kick seven kinds of shit out of you!"

Severus gasped in shock, almost taking a step back before he stopped himself. Both men looked up in surprise. Tobias looked offended at having been caught after being bested by such a scholarly individual. Mr Evans' eyes widened like those of a deer caught in the headlights of an articulated lorry. Mr Evans released Severus' father quickly, stepping back from him as he brushed down his own clothes. "You've been warned," Mr Evans finished coolly, all signs of his previous rage vanishing in an instant.

Mr Evans strode away from Tobias, his back straight and his head held high with intense pride. As he passed, Mr Evans' ruffled Severus' hair affectionately as a means of saying his farewell, before heading downstairs and vanishing out the front door, leaving Severus reeling from what he had just witnessed...

To Be Continued.

Woo! Go, Mr Evans! ^_^

Feel free to let me know what you think, guys! 


	17. Chapter 17

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Seventeen.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Notes: Another chapter ^_^ Yay. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing guys. I appreciate it all!

Chapter Seventeen: Midnight Mass

Every day that passed, throughout the month of December, was painful for Severus. There was a constant chill in the air, which burned the healed bone in his left arm. The previous year the cold had not had that much of an effect; Severus had been inside almost every day, save for the walks across town between the Pharmacy and his parents' house. Now, however, Severus was out in the cold on a daily basis. Lily never wanted to miss a chance to play in the snow, which covered the ground in thick layers.

Severus had been mystified by the snow at first, staring wide-eyed whenever he was out in it, watching the snowflakes cling to Lily's hair for dear life, but the novelty of it had quickly worn off. Lily was beautiful in the winter weather, her hair like a stream of fire, the colour intensified by the abundance of white around her. Her cheeks and nose were always tinged with a pretty red when she was out and her skin veritably glowed with the strength of her inner happiness. Severus did not look so fantastic now that the cold weather had set in; his skin was blotchy and the tip of his nose stung. His eyes were almost constantly streaming.

Severus made use of the coat, gloves and hat that Mr Evans had purchased for him on the day of his release from the hospital and his knitted scarf that he had received from Lily regularly, but the majority of his new clothes he kept in the wardrobe. He was almost afraid to wear them. He wanted to keep them in good condition, in case he was ever invited somewhere by Lily, which seemed to be much more likely in these winter months. He needed some good clothes and they were a rarity, indeed.

At present, it was Christmas Eve and early evening was approaching. There was a pleasant atmosphere in the air. Lily had a skip in her step as she dragged him across the town. Mr Evans had given him the week off, just as he had done for Halloween. Severus was restless; he wanted nothing more than to be bent over his books and notebooks, working away, but it was impossible at the present time. Lily led Severus over to the toy ship, whose proprietor dealt with old-fashioned wooden toys.

Severus eyed the marionettes with something akin to distaste, though Lily appeared to be fawning over them for some unfathomable reason. Severus hated wooden and porcelain toys that had faces; he always felt they were possessed and moved whenever he was not looking in their direction. Lily had dragged Severus over to this particular store every day since he had been released from the hospital. He was convinced that she was trying to give him a hint, but even if she wanted to receive a present from him...well, it was not possible in the slightest.

Severus thought the girl would have understood that by now, but it appeared that he had been incorrect. Severus' pursed his lips, eyeing the price tags of all the available toys. He shook his head fractionally and wished Lily would get sick of looking at them all. He hated looking at items that he would never be able to afford, especially when he was in Lily's company. All she needed to do was ask her father and Mr Evans would be able to provide for her every whim, if she so wished.

Severus stuffed his hands into the pockets of his coat and glared down at the floor, his obsidian gaze threatening to burn holes in the floor. When Lily had her fill of ogling the merchandise, she skipped out the door. Severus followed behind her at a more sedate pace, sucking in a breath as the winter chill hit his face and his bones. He ignored the urge to grab at his left arm. "Let's head back to my house," Lily suggested, sounding chipper. "We can practice our Magic safely, there."

Severus remembered with painful clarity the day they were caught by Nancy and her gang in the trees near the playground, causing the fallen leaves to whirl around them though there had not been even a hint of a breeze. The incident had occurred a week ago and had resulted in a volley of harsh words and stones being thrown at them. Lily had a large bruise on her shoulder from the incident, which still filled Severus' with a dark hatred for the pretty blonde girl and her friends, who went out of their way to make Lily miserable.

Severus had wanted to slap the girl in the face, hard, but had forced himself to refrain from doing so. It was not right to a hit a girl. He could only imagine Mr Evans' horror if he ever did something untoward to a girl – physically, at least. Instead, Severus had focused his mind and Magic and used a _Trip Jinx_ to knock her into the nearest tree. Nancy had hit her head off the trunk and had not moved for a moment, sending a pang of worry through Severus' gut and sending Lily into a panic.

The girl had been fine, however; she had received only a mild concussion at worst and a bruise at best – nothing fatal. It was nothing to cry over and Severus did not bother himself with guilt. Why be guilty for defending oneself and one's friend against an enemy? Lily had scolded him, though, and pushed him into offering an apology that he did not mean. Nancy and her goons had been too afraid to punish Severus for what he had done that day, but they made a point of harassing them every day since.

As Severus and Lily walked across town, their heavy boots crunched through the snow. They were halfway to Lily's house when something collided with the back of his head, sending him to the ground in an explosion of snowflakes. It had been a snowball, with a rock hidden inside. "Son of a –" he managed to say, before his mouth was stuffed with snow. Lily whipped around, hands curling into fists at her sides as Severus pulled himself up from the ground, shivering. A handful of snow had made it inside his coat and was now melting against his skin, sending chills through him.

"Bugger off," Lily said, her voice drenched with almost uncontrollable hatred, reaching out to help Severus stabilise himself. Severus rubbed the back of his head gingerly, wary of the tender flesh there. Lily's green eyes were alive with righteous anger as they glared across at Nancy and her gang. "Can't you give us just one day of peace? Just one?! At Christmas?! Is that too much to ask? What did we ever do to you?" Lily's questions were demanding, but Severus could detect the slightest quiver in her voice, signalling to him that her emotions were threatening to overwhelm her. She would be in tears soon.

Nancy's eyes glittered wickedly. "Well, it's more the fact that you exist," the girl replied, a cruel smile dancing across her pretty mouth. Lily gasped and her green eyes filled with moisture that quickly began cascading down her cheeks. "What's the matter, Evans? Finally realized your whore of a Mum gave birth to a freak of nature?"

"Take that back, you bloody bitch!" Lily roared, lunging at Nancy without a moment's hesitation. The blonde cried out as Lily ploughed into her, sending them both to the ground. Angry tears streamed down Lily's cheeks as she brawled with the girl, biting and scratching and slapping and kicking at every available inch of her. Severus' eyebrows had disappeared into his hairline, watching the girls fight. He was partially amused and partially shocked; it was strange seeing Lily so...violent. He had no love for Mrs Evans, but Lily clearly held her in the highest regard.

Severus had not even known that Lily was aware that the B word existed; it seemed he was learning new things every day, even when he was not in the backroom of the Pharmacy. He felt a grin pull at the corners of his mouth; Lily was going to win this brawl. She was stronger than Nancy, not to mention smarter. He frowned harshly, however, when one of Nancy's cronies made to grab Lily by the hair. "Hey," he shouted, jumping forward to defend his friend's back. He landed a good, hard kick against the older boy's genitals, knocking the wind out of him.

A nearby shop owner, who had clearly heard the disturbance caused by the children, came barrelling out of his shop, wielding a sweeping brush. "Get out of it, you lot!" he cried, waving his brush around, as if he would strike them with it. "Or I'll call your folks! I know your mothers!" Everyone looked up, jumping away from each other quickly, making a swift escape. Severus and Lily ran all the way to the Evans' household. They did not dare to look behind them to see if they were being followed.

Lily led Severus through the side gate, into the back garden, where Lily promptly threw herself down on one of the garden benches. Her cheeks were scraped and bleeding, even as tears cascaded down her cheeks in torrents. Severus sat beside her and awkwardly attempted to comfort her when she leaned against him. Even after so many months of being Lily's friend, he was still quite unused to comforting people. He just did not seem to be able to get the hang of it, as it were. "Severus, will there be bullies at Hogwarts?" she whimpered, sniffling as he rubbed her shoulder.

"No," Severus replied, giving her the slightest squeeze, "and if there are...they wouldn't be interested in you. You're smart and funny and pretty; you'll be one of the most popular Witches in the school!" Lily let out a strained laugh and reached for his hand, holding it tightly in her own. "It'll be alright, Lily; you'll make loads of friends and each one of them would be ready to punch that cow in the face if they ever heard her say such things," he assured her quietly. He hated seeing Lily upset like this and not only because tears unnerved him.

Eventually she pulled away and looked down at her hands. "I can't believe what that...that _girl_ said about my _Mum_," Lily said, rubbing at her cheek and wincing. Severus nodded sympathetically; he knew what it was like to have one's mother insulted in such a fashion. The culprit in his case was usually his father, though, so Severus' sympathy only stretched so far. "What does she know about anything?! She's nothing but a...a...a jealous fool!" Severus snorted in amusement, but said nothing. A voice in his head whispered, _who wouldn't be jealous?_

Lily jumped up from the bench, huffing in lingering anger. She put her hands out, her face contorting with concentration. The other bench, at the opposite side of the garden, rose from the ground. It hovered there, in the air, before moving towards them. Lily grinned, a trace of happiness returning to her at last. "Your turn," she said, returning the bench to its original location with a flick of her wrist. Severus rose from the bench with a smirk and glared across the garden at the opposite bench, focusing intently.

The bench rose from the ground again and zoomed around the garden, like a dog chasing its tail. Lily giggled and clapped her hand excitedly. Severus had just set the bench back down when the back door open and Mr Evans poked his head out. "Lily, dinner's ready – oh, Severus! Hello! Would you like to join us?"

"I can't, Harry," Severus replied, bowing his head slightly. "Mum's expecting me home this evening."

Mr Evans' smile fell slightly and Severus felt a pang of guilt course through him. "Oh...alright...well...some other time, then?"

"Yes, of course," Severus managed to say, before he was almost toppled by the strength of Lily's farewell embrace. She kissed his cheek, sending a flare of warmth through him. He glanced sideways at her, briefly, before extricating himself from her grasp. He looked up at Mr Evans, who looked as though he was trying not to grin in amusement at Severus' plight. Severus stuffed his hands in his pockets and hunched his shoulders; he did not like knowing people wanted to laugh at him, especially when it was Mr Evans.

When Mr Evans got himself under control, he asked one more question, "Do you want to come to Midnight Mass with us? Lily's been dying for me to ask you. She was too much of a chicken to do so herself..."

Severus glanced sideways at Lily once more, who was gazing at him hopefully, hands clasped together eagerly. "Alright..." Severus replied slowly, not wanting to upset her more than she had been already that day. It was Christmas Eve, after all; children were not meant to be upset at this time of year. She squealed with delight and ensnared him in another hug. He swallowed thickly as another blush raced across his face and quickly pulled away. "I will...see you later, then," he finished.

Severus waved at Mr Evans and slipped out the side gate. He did not waste any time in getting home; he was not a fan of this cold weather that had fallen on Cokeworth. He would brave Tobias' angry words and heavy hands if it meant getting out of the snow. Tobias was still absent when Severus arrived home. "Thank Merlin," he muttered, heading into the kitchen, where his mother was brewing in relative silence. "Hi, Mum."

Eileen hummed in greeting, reaching into the pocket of her apron. She withdrew a candy cane from it, causing Severus' eyes to light up in surprise and pleasure. She glanced up from her Potion, her dark eyes glittering with some unnamed emotion. "Our little secret," she said quietly, a small smile stealing across her lips. She winked at him and tossed the candy cane at him. He fumbled in his efforts to catch it, almost dropping it. Eileen went back to her brewing as if she had never spoken in the first place.

Severus whispered his gratitude and disappeared upstairs. He savoured the candy cane, but it was still demolished well before midnight. He used the remaining time to scrub himself clean in the bathtub and to get dressed in his good clothes. Thankfully, by the time Mr Evans' car pulled up outside, Tobias had returned home and had passed out in his bed. Severus made a brief explanation to his mother, before running out the door, not noticing the frozen expression on her face.

Severus joined Lily in the backseat, barely sparing a moment to wonder why Petunia was not in the car. He assumed she was already at the Church. They chose a pew in the middle of the Church, on the right hand side – close enough to see that Petunia was, in fact, standing amongst the Choir members. Along the sides of the Church, candles were burning in the middle of wreaths. Severus wondered why the Health and Safety inspector had never banned such a fire hazard, but he pushed the thoughts out of his mind as Mass began.

He forced himself to stay awake through the entire thing, though his gaze grew glassy halfway through. He rubbed at his left arm idly. Severus really did not want to be in the Church, listening to countless religious passages and hymns, but he made the effort for Lily's sake. Mr Evans glanced sideways at him and leaned down, whispering, "I don't hold much stock in it, either." Mr Evans winked at him, just as his mother had earlier that night, and straightened once more, an amused grin stretching across his mouth. In silence, Severus' reached for Mr Evans' hand.

Mr Evans squeezed his hand lightly, a gesture of affection and assurance – he knew very well how dreadfully insecure Severus was. If the man noticed how Mrs Evans was glaring venomously at their joined hands, he did not make it known. Severus was glad; he did not want to make a scene in the middle of Church, considering it would only embarrass Lily and Mr Evans. Severus eventually pulled his hand away, however, especially when Lily linked her arm around his elbow. It was a reassuring weight.

Severus sat through the rest of the Mass, surprised when Petunia stepped away from the rest of the Choir at the end. It seemed there was one last hymn to be sung and the elder Evans child had a solo. Severus found her shrill soprano voice grating as she sang _Angels from the Realms of Glory_ – originally written by the Scottish poet, James Montgomery – but, judging from the peaceful, closed-eyed expression on his face, Mr Evans was enjoying it immensely. Mrs Evans was gazing up at her fair-haired daughter with pride and adoration.

Severus' insides twisted sharply at seeing those emotions in Mrs Evans' face. Eileen was never so open with her affections and he often wondered why; was it because she was afraid to draw Tobias' ire towards her...or did she resent him for being an underage Wizard, whose every use of Magic – intentional or not – led to Tobias treating them like garbage. Severus stared down at his hands. He did not want to think that his own mother resented his existence, while she loved him simultaneously.

Lily stood up beside him, pulling on his arm slightly as she withdrew her arm from around his elbow, drawing Severus' thoughts back to the present. Everyone was clapping. He quickly joined in, though he had not enjoyed Petunia's performance in the slightest. Petunia nodded her head towards the congregation in gratitude and the gatherers and the Choir broke up. The blonde girl made a beeline for their pew, a broad smile on her bony face. Severus fought down the urge to kick her before she could say something scathing, when her eyes narrowed upon seeing him with her family...

To Be Continued.

Feel free to let me know what you think! ^_^


	18. Chapter 18

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Eighteen.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay you guys, but here's another chapter, yay! Feel free to let me know what you think, guys.

Chapter Eighteen: A Guide to Self-Protection

The first of January had come and gone with minimal celebration in the Snape household. There was absolutely nothing unusual about Tobias Snape being shamefully drunk, but Severus and Eileen had been forced sit in the living room and listen to him drunkenly warble Old Lang Syne. Severus would rather have been forced to listen to a goat get strangled, if anyone had been kind enough to ask him. Severus had contented himself with staring across at his mother, who was gazing at her husband without even cringing at the sound of his voice.

Severus believed she had used Magic to deafen herself against the sound of Tobias' voice and his insides had danced at the thought. Eileen deserved to be able to use Magic as a defence or as an act of revenge, considering everything that Tobias had put her through, just to spite the blighter. Thankfully, the day had passed quickly and the ninth would be arriving in twenty-four hours. Very soon he would be ten years old, one year closer to receiving his acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Severus, currently sitting in the back room of the Pharmacy, glanced towards his satchel, which he had received from Mr Evans. Hidden within it was a _second_ Christmas present that Mr Evans had given him, though it had been a little belated. Severus carried the book with him, wherever he went; he was too afraid to leave it out of his sight. If Tobias found it there was little doubt in Severus' mind that the gift would be burned to cinders. He could remember, with clarity, the note that had come with it and kept the words close to his heart.

_My Severus,_

_I think you will enjoy this book immensely. I love it, myself. It is a journey filled with magic, scheming and ambition, but that is not its only feature. It is, first and foremost, the journey of self-discovery for one young man. It is the story of one perfectly ordinary Hobbit, whose most obvious traits are timidity, fright and pride...who goes on to be a hero with courage in spades. Though he is lost at times, he finds his way. There are trials, but he perseveres; just like you will. Keep your chin up, Severus, and know that one day...one day you will do great things. I'll be the first in line to get your autograph._

_Love,_

_Harry._

Lily had laughed when she read the words over Severus' shoulder, but he had been on too much of a high to ask what she had been laughing at. Now, sitting in the backroom several days later, while Lily was at school, he could not help but wonder what the source of her laughter had been. Was it that she could not imagine Severus being courageous? Or was it that her father thought Severus would be brilliant enough to have people want his autograph? The idea of either possibility being true left Severus feeling quite unnerved.

Shaking his head, Severus focused upon the textbook he was meant to be reading. It was an anthology of poetry, entitled _British Poetry Since 1945_, a collection of post-war poetry from British poets. Mr Evans had been quite excited that morning when setting him to work, reading and analysing the poems therein. Though Severus had to look up some new words in the dictionary and memorize the definitions given, he generally enjoyed reading and analysing the poems in the anthology.

Severus was still in the middle of his work when Lily arrived sometime in the late afternoon, laden with her own satchel. He and Lily exchanged greetings and took a moment to enjoy a chat, before Lily began working on her homework and Severus returned to his work. Though the redhead took her time doing her homework, she was finished when Severus still had three poems left to analyse. Severus eyed her discreetly, decidedly annoyed that her school teachers were not giving her enough work to contend with.

He said nothing on the matter, however, and continued to work on the task Mr Evans had set him. When he was finished, he let out a relieved sigh and set his book and pencil aside. Mr Evans had given him free reign to litter his text with notes, as long as they were in pencil. Apparently, he was looking forward to reading them. After Severus tidied away his things, he picked up his book and slipped out the door, presenting his work to Mr Evans. The man in question took the proffered book with a smile and informed him he could leave now, if he wished.

Smiling, Severus returned to the back room. "Let's go," he said, his tone carrying a hint of excitement. Lily was quick to tidy away her things and, shouldering their book bags, the two of them left the Pharmacy together. The snow, mercifully, had begun to thaw well before the New Year had begun. Though the air was still cold enough to cause pain in Severus' forearm, he was grateful for small mercies. They walked, arm in arm, to Lily's house and slipped into the back garden.

"Did you ask your Mum about that apparition thing?" Lily asked as they settled down on one of the garden benches, not really caring that the seat was slightly wet. Lily had been most eager to try apparating, ever since Severus had first told her about it. The girl had been absolutely fascinated by the subject and he had resolved to ask Eileen about it, just to be sure he was correct in his theory regarding the matter. Lily had pestered him to the point where one more mention of it might very well have caused him to snap. Eileen had been reluctant to speak of it, but in the end Severus had managed to convince his mother to impart the knowledge upon him.

"I said I would, didn't I?" Severus griped, looking at his friend with narrowed eyes. "She said there wasn't much to it at all, actually. Destination, Determination and Deliberation; that's all it takes as you turn on the spot, she told me. But she also said that people had to be careful, because if you did it wrong, you could lose a bit of your flesh and bleed to death. Frightening, isn't it?" At his words, Lily had grown paler and turned her head away, looking off into the distance. Severus knew that she was thinking about the ramifications of trying to apparate without an adult Wizard or Witch supervising them.

"We'll be careful, then; we won't try to go too far away. We'll stay within the perimeter of the garden," Lily eventually said, turning back to face Severus. He raised his brows at her continued interest in trying to apparate. It surprised him. He had thought she would back away from the idea and leave his mind in peace about the whole thing. Clearly, he had misjudged her. _You're so daring, Lily_, he thought, _dangerously so. You'd do well in Gryffindor, much as I hate to admit it._ Severus rose from the garden bench a moment after Lily did so. "You can go first."

Severus' eyebrows knitted into a frown as he wondered why Lily wanted him to try it first. He was not certain whether she was being courteous or whether her fear was getting the better of her. "Alright," he said slowly, briefly eyeing her. Severus looked around the garden and chose a location to focus his intent on. Closing his eyes, he took a long moment to steady his breath, allowing the sense of calm to fill him. He envisioned the spot he had chosen and willed himself to appear there, turning on the spot as he did so.

He waited for that tingle that he had come to associate with the use of his Magic, but did not encounter it. Opening his eyes, he looked around. He was exactly where he had been standing a moment before. A pang of disappointment filled him, but he tried not to let it show. He did not want to lose face with Lily, whose esteem he cherished. He looked at his friend, a twitch of his eyebrow informing her that it was her turn to try. Frowning in concentration, Lily closed her eyes and turned on the spot.

Severus held his breath as the molecules of her body began to break apart, swimming around in the air prettily, before re-solidifying. She was still standing where she had been originally; she had made little more progress than Severus had himself. Lily's eyes fluttered open, revealing those lovely green eyes that she had inherited from Mr Evans. The girl let out a curse and stomped her foot as she realized she had not managed to successfully apparate to the other side of the back garden.

Severus snorted in amusement and looked towards the sky for a moment. The two of them spent the rest of the evening practicing apparition. Lily managed a successful apparition before Severus did. Lily pushed him into continuing until he managed to apparate across the garden. With a loud crack, Severus popped into existence at the location he had previously focused upon. The cold intensified two-fold even as Lily let out a peal of laughter that was filled with both embarrassment and amusement. Severus looked down and almost fainted from horror. He had left his clothes behind.

Letting out an undignified squawk, Severus dived behind the nearest bush, one arm wrapping around his emaciated torso instinctively while his free hand plunged to cover his private areas. Judging by the laughter that was still bubbling up from Lily's chest, the scars left from Tobias' belt had not been seen. Severus thanked his lucky stars that they had not been; he did not want to face the endless questions that Lily would have put towards him. He peeked around the edge of the bush.

Lily was laughing so hard she was doubled over, her arm around her middle. Her face was growing steadily redder. "Lily," Severus whined, wishing she would hurry up and stop laughing at his plight. Lily's laughter gradually died into sharp gasps for breath as she brought one hand to her head, pushing her hair out of her face. Eventually the paroxysms died, though Severus was suffering greatly from the cold at this point. His teeth were chattering and his fingers had turned a harsh red, bordering on purple. "My clothes," he finally snapped, "give them to me! Now!" His final word was virtually a roar, which startled a nearby robin into flight.

Lily gathered up his clothes and carried them over to him, giggles escaping her intermittently. Though she remained on the other side of the bush, she held her arms out, extending the meagre bundle towards him. Severus snatched the items from her, hastily pulling them on. He did not want to catch his death of cold. Severus blew warm air upon his fingers and rubbed his hands together, trying to regain some heat and feeling as he came back around the side of the bush, giving Lily a dark glare. "It wasn't funny," he growled.

Severus stormed past her, heading for the gate which would lead him out to the main road. "Where are you going?" Lily called after him, surprised and confused. "Severus, wait! Where are you going?" she reiterated loudly, chasing after him, grabbing his arm to prevent him from moving forward. It was clear she would not let him leave unless he gave her a legitimate reason why he was doing so.

"Home!" A muscle in Severus' cheek twitched when Lily did not release his arm. He wrenched his arm free of her grasp and kept going, head bent to hide the fact that he was blushing furiously.

"What?! Why?"

"You were laughing at me!"

"I was laughing with you, Severus! Not at you!"

Severus whirled around, his eyes narrowed in anger and betrayal, his hands curling into fists. "_I wasn't laughing_," he virtually shrieked at her, his arms shaking by his sides. "Next time, we'll let you be accidentally stripped naked and have your only friend laugh at your embarrassing state of public nudity in the freezing cold! How would you like it?!" He felt that tell-tale tingle begin at the roots of his hair and he had to forcibly restrain himself from using his Magic, in a fit of anger, on Lily, who took a step back at his words, staring at him wide-eyed.

Without another word, Severus fled the Evans' household, leaving his friend standing flabbergasted behind him. He kept running, ignoring the sound of Lily's voice behind him as she presumably followed him. He could not face her again, knowing that she had seen him in his most vulnerable of states. It was mortifying and horrifying and taboo. Girls and boys were not meant to see each other without clothes on, no matter their age. It was highly inappropriate. If Eileen or Mr Evans ever learned of what happened, he would be in for a serious hiding.

Mr Evans was a kind man, but even the kindest of men would go to great lengths to protect the innocence of their young daughters. Severus could only hope that Lily would keep the matter quiet; he did not want to think that she would rat him out, even though it had been an accident. Severus ran all the way home, bursting through the front door with a red face, slamming the door behind him. Eileen poked her head out from the kitchen, her dark eyes glittering with an unnameable emotion. "If I wanted the doors slammed, I'd do it myself, Severus."

"Leave me alone," he snapped in response, stomping past her without even noticing the affronted expression upon her face. Within a few minutes, he was hidden away in his bedroom, having shut himself away from the world around him. He kicked his wardrobe as he let out a curse, before throwing himself upon his bed, burying his face in his pillow. He screamed himself hoarse into the muffling fabric of his pillow, venting all of his rage and humiliation. His throat was raw when he finally pulled himself away, wrapping his arms around his legs, hugging them to his chest.

He did not stir when the door creaked upon its hinges. He knew it was his mother. "What's the matter?" Eileen said quietly, stepping into the room, gently shutting the door behind her.

"Nothing; go away," he croaked, his throat aching. Severus could tell, without even looking, that his mother's lips had thinned at his words. He felt a pang of remorse for offending her, but it was quickly swallowed by his continued feelings of anger and mortification. He rested his chin on his knees and scowled at the wall. Eileen crossed the room and sat down on the bed, her added weight disrupting his position, sending him tumbling into her side. Growling, he pushed at her. "Go away!"

"Stop it, young man. Stop it, now," Eileen snapped, catching his arms in both her hands. "I know you're angry, but you shouldn't take it out on others." With that, she hauled him into her arms, wrapping her own around him as he buried his face in her shoulder. Severus clung to his mother, fingers gripping the fabrics of her drab frock. She carded her long, elegant fingers through his lifeless hair, fingertips brushing gently against his scalp. Wrapped up in his mother's arms, feeling the warmth of the affection she so rarely showed him, Severus felt himself begin to break down, tears spilling down his cheeks.

Eileen spoke in soft whispers to him, her words soothing as she rocked gently with him. She rested her cheek against the top of his head. "I'm here, Severus, if you ever need to talk. I'll always be here for you." Her arms tightened around him fractionally. In a choked rush of words, Severus began speaking to her, explaining what had happened in such a frightened and remorseful voice that it left Eileen feeling surprised as she held her son in her arms. "Oh, Severus; why would you think that I'd punish you for that? It was an accident!"

"Because it's taboo..."

"It was an accident," Eileen said again, her tone firm. She pulled back, cupping Severus' face lightly with both hands. She caressed his cheeks, rubbing away the evidence of his tears. "If I had a Knut for every time I did something by accident when I was a girl, I would be a very wealthy woman. As for that friend of yours...well; she'll realise it was a bad move eventually. Little girls can be slow on the uptake, sometimes. She _was_ laughing at you, but she didn't intend it in a _bad_ way and that can cause confusion at times, especially in young boys like yourself."

Eileen brushed a lock of Severus' hair away from his face as the boy sniffled, though his tears had finally dried up. "I know something that will make you feel better," she said conspiratorially, her eyes glittering knowingly. The slightest smile graced her thin lips. "I will be back in a moment." She left the room, then, her steps hurried, looking back at her son briefly as she went out the door. True to her word, Eileen returned quickly. She was carrying a book in one hand, holding it close to her chest. "This was mine when I first went to Hogwarts," she said softly, looking down at the book almost fondly, "but I think it's time for it to be passed on..."

Eileen extended her arm, holding the book out for him to take. Severus, eyes wide with awe, accepted the book into his own hands. He gazed down at the faded cover, running his fingertips across the title. It was a copy of _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection _by Professor Quentin Trimble. "Thank you, Mum," Severus replied, his voice trembling. He could hardly believe that his mother had gifted him with such a treasure when it was not even his birthday yet. "Thank you so much!"

"You're in for a surprise tomorrow." With those final words and a sly wink, Eileen Snape slipped out the door, leaving Severus fawning over his new acquisition...

To Be Continued. 


	19. Chapter 19

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Nineteen.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Notes: Thanks for reading/reviewing guys! I enjoyed writing this chapter. ^_^ **For anyone who wants to read about the wood and core I chose for Severus' wand, you can find the information on** **Pottermore**. I hope you enjoy reading, guys.

Chapter Nineteen: Magic

"Severus, wake up." A gentle hand accompanied the soft whisper, calling Severus out from the land of slumber. Severus opened his eyes and peered blearily up at the woman looming over his bed. "Come on, now; get out of bed. We need to leave while your father's still asleep!" Eileen's insistent words were quick to cure Severus of his lethargy. He fell out of bed in his haste to get up. Eileen jerked backwards, just managing to save her feet from being flattened. A quick gesture of her hand managed to muffle the thump just in the nick of time. "Get dressed," she urged, before quickly leaving the room, glancing back at him briefly.

Severus was exceptionally swift at getting dressed that morning, though it was still dark outside. He dashed, as quietly as he could, down the stairs, almost tripping over his own feet with his eagerness. Eileen was by the front door, bundled up in a long, tasteful and unusually feminine coat, though it was a little shabby from wear. She ran a quick comb through Severus' hair and he pulled his hat on. Glancing up the stairs surreptitiously, Eileen took her son's hand and quickly led him out of the house, forcing him to run in order to keep up with her long strides. She stopped at the end of the empty driveway.

"Hold on tight," Eileen advised, looking down at Severus, a trace of warmth in her dark eyes, "and don't let go." Severus tightened his grip around his mother's hand, taking her words to heart. Eileen turned on the spot and the two of them disappeared from Spinner's End with a soft pop. His mother was clearly more efficient at apparating than Severus and Lily were and that did not surprise him in the slightest. With another soft pop, the two of them appeared just inside the barrier behind The Leaky Cauldron.

Diagon Alley lay before them, sprawling and curvy. Severus had never been there before in his life. Standing there now, he was utterly mystified. He could hardly fathom how the white building at the end of the road managed to stay upright, not when it was leaning so dangerously to the side. There must have been some heavy enchantments inlaid into the architecture of the building. Severus was so busy staring at the building that he did not notice his mother was on the move until his arm was jerked suddenly.

Eileen pulled him down through Diagon Alley, the pair of them bumping into the throngs of people that littered the street. It was daunting; everyone towered over him, crowding around him. He had no idea how the Goblins managed to survive being so small all the time. When they finally managed to escape the crowd, Severus found that they were standing outside a shop. Peeling gold letters over the door of the shop read: _Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. _A spark of excitement shot through Severus' veins at the thought of being allowed to buy a wand early.

Eileen pushed the door open with one hand, ushering her son in ahead of her. Severus' eyes searched every surface of the shop, taking note of the wand boxes covering the walls from floor to ceiling. There was a spindly chair in the corner, though it looked decidedly worse for wear. There was a thin layer of dust upon every surface. He wrinkled his nose in slight distaste, thinking that Mr Ollivander would do well to take some time off from work to do a little bit of spring cleaning.

Severus almost jumped out of his skin when a man loomed out of the shadows, his pale eyes shining like a pair of moons as he leaned across the counter, resting his chin in his palm, fingers tapping an odd rhythm against his cheek. The man – presumably Mr Ollivander – had a well-kept mop of greying hair. "Mr Snape...how peculiar it is to see you here; I wasn't expecting you to arrive here until next January...but then, you're not the first in your family to be an early bird. You were early, too, were you not?" Mr Ollivander dragged his pale silver eyes away from Severus, focusing intently upon his mother.

"Yes; the summer of '38 – I was two years early, but it was understandable, of course; Grindelwald was rallying his army..." Eileen trailed off briefly, before she remembered the rest of Ollivander's comments. "You saw the Daily Prophet last week." There was a hint of defence to her tone. Severus' mother stuffed her hands into the pockets of her coat, ducking her head as her shoulders hunched forward slightly. Severus eyed her curiously, wondering why she was getting nervous in the man's presence, before returning his gaze to the strange proprietor. "I thought it best to jump the wand, as it were." The corner of her mouth quirked upwards, though she was not in the least bit amused.

"Indeed," the proprietor replied, drawing the word out for longer than necessary. Mr Ollivander's eyes gleamed in the darkness. "It's a terrible tragedy, Mrs Snape. Lord Bones and his wife were two of the Ministry's finest Hit Wizards; I fear we'll not see their like in the ranks again." The man slowly lowered his hand as he withdrew from the counter. A tape measure had appeared in his hand, clenched in his loose fist. "Their eldest, Amelia – the poor girl – is in the middle of her NEWT year. I heard from Galatea Merrythought that Dumbledore had to convince her not to pull out...that he had given special permission for her youngest brother – Edgar, I think his name was – to stay at Hogwarts."

"I'm not surprised," Eileen said softly, shaking her head.

Changing topic almost randomly, Olivander continued. "Of course, you're not the first to bring your child in this week. Amelia dragged young Edgar in the morning after the article appeared in the Prophet. Walburga Black was in yesterday with her two boys – I've never seen a child as rowdy as that boy, Sirius. The little blighter set fire to a dozen of my wands when he had a strop – just because his mother wouldn't let him get two!" Eileen rested her hand gently upon Severus' shoulder, giving him an affectionate squeeze. She was clearly proud of her quiet boy. "I've never seen a mother look so ashamed at the behaviour of her child..."

Severus sighed impatiently and tapped his foot against the floor. While he was slightly interested in what the adults were discussing, he would rather be in the process of discovering which wand would be his. An amused smile tugged at the corners of Mr Ollivander's mouth. "Impatient, aren't we? It's only to be expected; I was always more fascinated by the wands than anything my own parents discussed..." The proprietor swept around the counter and the tape measure began doing its work of its own according, measuring anything and everything on Severus' person that it could measure.

Mr Ollivander hummed appreciatively and began perusing his obscenely large collection of wands. He pulled a box free and brought it to the counter. Opening the box, revealing the wand within, he said, "Ebony and Dragon heartstring, nine inches...reasonably supple." He plucked the wand from the box and held it out to Severus, waiting for him to take it. Severus reached for it, but no sooner had he wrapped his hand around it that Mr Ollivander was wrenching it back out of his grasp. "No; this wand is clearly not for you."

"How do you know? I didn't even get to cast a spell," Severus replied testily, though a hint of derision had crept in near the end. Severus folded his arms across his chest. The look Mr Ollivander gave him could have withered a plant and would have made Severus feel very uncomfortable had his mother not chided him under her breath, swatting the back of his head. Severus' cheeks tinged with colour and he looked down at the floor, shuffling awkwardly. After an awkward pause, Mr Ollivander's quest to find Severus' perfect wand continued.

Almost a hundred and fifty wands – including numerous wands of Blackthorn, Ebony, English Oak, Fir, Hawthorn, Pine, Red Oak, Silver Lime and Walnut – littered the top of the counter. Severus nibbled his bottom lip. He was starting to wonder whether there was even a wand for him. "Don't worry, young man," Mr Ollivander said sharply, as if he could read his very thoughts. "Most of my more difficult customers have gone on to do great things later in life. Sometimes, they were terrible...yes...but great all the same..."

The proprietor faded into silence as his fingers wriggled in the air during his perusal of the countless other wands that Severus might be chosen by. He retrieved another long wand box, revealing the wand within once he had returned to the counter. "A particularly handsome Red Oak wand," Mr Ollivander muttered, "Dragon heartstring...thirteen inches...slightly yielding." Severus reached into the box and removed the wand. As soon as it touched his skin Severus felt warmth run through his hand, before shooting off into the rest of his body. The tip of the wand glowed prettily. "Haha," the wand-maker exclaimed, clapping enthusiastically. "We have a winner!"

Severus turned and beamed up at his mother, a hint of pride in his eyes. The corner of Eileen's mouth pulled upwards, an indication that she was pleased. Eileen took care of the purchase. Though a Galleon did not seem like much, every Galleon counted in their family. Holding his wand tightly in his hand, Severus virtually skipped by his mother's side as she led him back towards the apparition point. He could not wait to show Lily his wand; he knew she would be as excited about it as he was. Perhaps they would be able to start trying proper spells.

Once Severus and Eileen reached the apparition point, she turned on the spot and the two of them vanished with a soft pop, reappearing at the end of their driveway in Spinner's End. It was just starting to get lightsome. The two of them slipped inside as quickly as possible. "Get upstairs," Eileen whispered, helping Severus out of his coat. "Stay there for awhile; I'll get a start on breakfast. Your father should be waking soon." She kissed Severus' forehead and sent him upstairs.

Severus was quick in step, but light on his feet, slipping into his room with hardly a sound. He toddled over to his bed and pulled his satchel out from underneath it. He had put his copy of _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_ into it the previous night, to keep the book safe and out of his father's sight. Tobias was too horrified by the notion of being educated that he did not even bear to look at the bag, never mind touch it. He was afraid Severus' contagions would transfer onto him.

Severus, lip curling at the thought of his father's distaste of him, withdrew his book from his bag and settled upon the bed. He opened the book to the first chapter: _The First Line of Defence. _His hair falling forward in a curtain around his head, Severus began reading the text before him, fascinated by the subjects within.

_To understand the importance of the Wand-Lighting Charm, as a necessary part of Defence Against the Dark Arts, one must be aware of our history. The Darkness has and will always be an ever-present companion to the Witch and Wizard, regardless of skill or heritage, and with it, come a variety of unpleasant surprises to catch the unwitting. The first line of defence, in any situation, is the presence of a portable source of light. The ability to illuminate an area is intrinsic to the continued survival of our kind._

_Prior to the development of the Wand-Lighting Charm by Levina Monkstanley, an employee of the Ministry of Magic, in 1772, Wizarding Kind was the continuous prey of countless dark and dangerous beings, whose abilities only strengthened with the encroaching Darkness. Our numbers were severely depleted. The first use of the Charm by its creator, while mundane, sparked the growth of our populace and helped revolutionise the theory and practical application of Defence._

_One might wonder how the simplistic Charm could have had such an effect, but the reality is this; if one cannot see one's enemy...how can one defend against them? This chapter will discuss, in detail, the theory behind and the application of the Wand-Lighting Charm. There are several variations of the Charm, but it is best to start with the simplest form: Lumos..._

From the moment Severus laid eyes upon the first page of his textbook, it was love at first sight. He could not put the book down; it intrigued him far too much. It was early afternoon when he realized that he had spent half the day in his room. He scrambled quickly out of bed and shoved his book and his wand into his bag, shouldering it hurriedly. He was late for his studies at the Pharmacy. He ran through the house and was out the front door in record time. He knew he would have to apparate, to arrive early enough to save some face.

He focused on the Pharmacy with determination, visualising himself – and his belongings – appearing there, and turned on the spot, disapparating with a crack like a gunshot. It might have been his desperation, but Severus arrived without any problems, popping into existence in the middle of the Pharmacy. Severus did not get the chance to be elated by his success, for Mr Evans, who had been behind the counter, almost jumped fifty feet in fright, his hand covering his heart. "What the fu – Severus?!"

"Er...hello?" Severus replied nervously, his cheeks flushing red. "I know I'm late; I'm sorry. I...I...I lost track of time."

"Ha, no, don't change the subject, young man. What in the blazes did you just do?" Mr Evans did not look anywhere near ready to calm down; if anything, it looked like he was ready to have a coronary. Severus supposed that was understandable; it was not every day that young Wizards apparated into existence in the presence of Muggles. "One second I was alone, next second you're there at the sound of a gunshot!"

"Er..."

"What the hell's going on?" said the familiar voice of Mr Young, who poked his head around the side of the door to the backroom. He was noticeably pale and shaking. "Did someone fire off a gun?!"

"Nothing! No; the door was slammed a little too hard." Mr Evans and Severus answered the elderly man simultaneously, both of them looking as guilty and nervous as sin. The pharmacist eyed the pair of them suspiciously, hand gripping the door tightly, before disappearing from view. The door clicked shut, leaving the young Wizard and Lily's father alone once more. The man's green eyes homed in on Severus, their soulful depths burning with fierce curiosity, worry, affection and fear. "Are you going to answer me?" Mr Evans asked sharply.

"...Magic..."

Mr Evans stared at Severus for several long moments. "Oh..." Mr Evans looked as though he was not certain what else to say. He and Severus had not spoken about Lily's and Severus' shared gifts since that brief conversation the previous summer when Lily had run away from him after he had called her a Witch. "Well...that's...er...that's good..." Mr Evans coughed to clear his throat and began busying himself with rearranging the various products that sat there. Severus swallowed thickly.

He could tell Mr Evans was not particularly comfortable with the subject. Who could blame him, after all? Yet, it still stung Severus a little. "I just...I didn't want to be any later than I already was..." Severus hung his head as the whispered words escaped him. His eyes prickled, but he squashed the sensation before it could truly begin. "I didn't...I didn't want to disappoint you." He was glad that his dark hair and large nose hid the worst of his weaknesses from Mr Evans. He would not like him to think that he was prone to uncontrollable sentiment...like some silly little girl.

"Don't say that," Mr Evans snapped, sounding truly offended. Severus dragged his gaze upwards, only to see the man coming around the counter, his green eyes ablaze with emotion. "Don't you _ever _say that; you could never disappoint me." The kind, caring man drew him into a tight embrace, hugging him close. Severus felt his eyes sting again. Standing there in the Pharmacy – he really was lucky that there were no customers present – he felt as if he truly belonged, though he was not quite sure whether he deserved Mr Evans' obvious affection.

Mr Evans was Lily's father; he was not meant to care about the gutter rat from Spinner's End. He was meant to be as condescending as the rest of them, sneering at the sight of a boy almost as unkempt as the countless homeless men and women. Severus' breath hitched and he dared to hug Mr Evans in return, fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt for dear life, though he knew he should not be so bold. Mrs Evans would have thrown him out the door had she witnessed their embrace; Severus knew she hated the fact that Mr Evans cared about him.

He supposed her dislike of him was justified. Mr Evans spent time with him – time that would be better spent with his own children. Severus could understand why Mrs Evans and Petunia detested him. He would detest him, too, had he been in their position. Mr Evans was wasting his efforts with Severus; though Severus was extremely determined, the reality was that he was not likely to amount to much, in the end. When all was said and done, Severus would disappoint the man who was hugging him, one way or another, and there was really very little that Severus could do about it.

It made their embrace all the more bitter sweet for Severus. When Mr Evans eventually pulled back, he gazed softly down at Severus, his affection for the boy plainly evident. "Now...what had you so distracted that you forgot about coming here for your studies?" He gave Severus a kind smile and the boy hesitated, briefly, before diving into a quiet explanation...

To Be Continued 

I'm not being sexist with the comment about silly little girls; I just honestly feel that would be Severus' mindset. Feel free to let me know what you think! ^_^


	20. Chapter 20

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Twenty.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay on this one guys! I got side-tracked by a really awesome fic that I was reading ^_^ I'm sure you all know what that's like! Thanks for reading/reviewing; I appreciate all of you! Feel free to let me know what you think of this chapter.

Chapter Twenty: Sparks and Sonic Screwdrivers

Severus quickly went to work in the backroom at the Pharmacy, doing his best to catch up on the work that he had missed while engrossed in _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_. Though he did not manage to get all of the work done, the progress he made in such a short space of time made Mr Evans happy regardless. Severus was just finishing up his final essay when the door to the backroom opened. Severus did not raise his eyes; he knew who stood in the doorway. Even peripherally, that fiery red hair was impossible to miss.

"Aren't you even going to look at me?" Lily demanded of him, her hands on her hips. Her satchel was resting against her leg, hanging from her shoulder. "I didn't mean to upset you, yesterday." Severus nibbled his lower lip, but still he did not look up at her. While he wanted, more than anything, to share his exciting news about his newly acquired wand, he did not want to do so at the risk of forsaking his pride; it was the only thing he had left. He would not acknowledge Lily's presence until she offered a proper apology to him. Lily made a noise of frustration and stomped across the room to him, the door swinging shut behind her. "Don't make me hit you," she whined, coming to a stop beside him.

Those words were enough to make Severus look up. It was a slow process; he dragged it out as much as possible, irritating her all the more. "Did you say something?" he asked innocently, raising his brows questioningly. Lily glared, but the expression only amused him, bringing the slightest smile to his mouth. Lily sat in the chair on the opposite side of the table and stared pointedly at him, folding her arms across her chest. "Judging by the look on your face, you clearly expected me to say something else."

"Obviously."

"Well, I'm not going to; in fact, I'm going to sit here and wait for you to say what I want to hear." Severus fell silent and reached into his book bag, withdrawing his Defence Against the Dark Arts text book. He flipped it open to the last chapter that he had been viewing earlier that day and began to read. He was quite adept at ignoring people when it was necessary. He knew that Lily was staring at his book, wanting nothing more than to read it with him, but he denied her the possibility.

The silence stretched for an indeterminable amount of time, until Lily finally muttered something. He almost did not catch it, but it was too quiet of an apology, as if she were only apologising for the sake of reading the book and not because she truly meant it. Severus, turning the page over almost casually, questioned her on what she might have said to him. "I said I'm sorry," Lily groused, throwing her hands up in the air. "Are you always this much of a pain in the arse when things don't go your way?"

"Yes." Severus dragged his gaze up from the pages of his book, to see Lily eyeing it with a covetous expression. Amusement tugged at the corner of his mouth. Lily was as greedy for knowledge as he was. "I'm assuming you want to know what this is, now?" he asked, waving it around dramatically.

"Yes!"

Severus dived into a rather in-depth explanation about the book and its relevance to the Wizarding World. The excited look that lived on Lily's face throughout his explanation was priceless. He puffed his chest out with pride, pleased that he had been the one to introduce the girl to the book. "It gets better," he said brightly, before reaching into his book bag. Severus withdrew his wand and Lily gasped in shock and awe, that covetous look returning to her face. "My wand; I got it this morning, for my birthday."

Even as an expression of bliss came over Severus, one of horror came over Lily. She stared across the table at him in muted dismay. "Hey, what's the matter?" he asked her, confused.

"I forgot about your birthday! I didn't get you a present!"

"So?" Severus asked, utterly bewildered by her reaction to the knowledge. No one had ever cared whether they remembered his birthday, save for his own mother and even she had difficulty finding the funds to get him a present every year. Today had been one of the extremely few times he had even been given a present at all. Not even Mr Evans had inquired about his birthday in the past. In truth, Severus was not certain what he would have done with himself had he been given more than one gift that day.

Lily buried her face in her hands. "I'm a terrible friend," she wailed in misery.

"Oh, don't be so melodramatic, Lily," Severus chided lightly, frowning across the table at his friend. "It doesn't matter, really. Besides, it's not like I'll be able to get _you_ a present for _your _birthday, so we're even..." Lily shook her head, but Severus could tell that she did not understand how he could be so unconcerned about the whole thing. "In the future, when I get a job," Severus continued, "we'll get each other brilliant presents to make up for it. So, don't...you know...worry about it."

Lily began to whine about it, before Severus cut her off, waving her concerns away. Silence ensued, thick and awkward, as Severus rubbed his left arm. After a while, Lily broke the silence, asking how long they had to wait until he was free to leave. "I could probably go now...there's only about fifteen minutes left. I'll ask Harry." Lily waited patiently in the backroom, staring at Severus' wand and text book desirously, while Severus toddled out to the front where Mr Young and Mr Evans were handling customers.

Severus waited until Mr Evans was free, before slipping up to him, quietly speaking to him. Severus beamed when he returned to the backroom once Mr Evans had given him a positive answer. Severus tidied up his things and the pair of them left the Pharmacy, happy in the knowledge that they had made up after yesterday's debacle. Though he had thought that Lily should be the one to seek him out and apologise, Severus would have hated for it to drive a wedge between them, especially when it had happened so close to his birthday.

Severus accompanied Lily when she suggested that they go to her house. He did not mind; it was better than parting with her and going home. He could survive through any looks Mrs Evans gave him or harsh words thrown at him by Petunia, if it meant getting to spend time with Lily. Slipping into the garden at the back of the house, Severus and Lily curled up on the grass, surrounded by flowers and shrubbery and garden benches. Her hair was like a river of fire in a forest of green and brown. "What does a wand do, exactly?" Lily asked as Severus withdrew said item and his textbook from his bag.

"Oh, it does loads of things," Severus said excitedly, pushing a lock of his hair behind his face. "People can make it open and lock doors, do medical scans, detect life forces and –"

Lily interrupted him almost immediately, causing his excitement to deflate a little. "So, it's basically like a Sonic Screwdriver?" she asked curiously, reaching out to take the wand in her hand.

Severus' grip on the wand tightened immeasurably and he jerked it away from her approaching hand, a possessive expression coming over his face. "I don't know what a Sonic Screwdriver is, but it's probably nothing like my wand," he answered, feeling only slightly guilty when a slighted expression danced across Lily's face. He knew she was as excited as he was about it...but he had only received the gift that morning; it was not a requirement to share birthday presents on the day one received them. He would let her have a go the next day.

"How can you _not_ _know_ what a Sonic Screwdriver is? _Every_ British child knows what it is! It's only a very useful item that The Doctor carries around when he goes on his adventures!" Her offence at not being allowed to touch the wand quickly melted, being replaced with a scandalous expression.

"Doctor?" Severus asked, bewildered, looking at his friend as though she had lost all of her marbles. "Doctor who?"

"Exactly," Lily replied, clapping her hands excitedly. "_Doctor Who_ – the television series broadcast by the BBC! Dad and I _love _it!" Severus stared across the space between them for a long moment, waiting for it to sink in. Gradually, her chipper attitude began to deflate as she realised that Severus was looking at her in that unfathomable way of his, though it was clear that there was s_omething_ the matter with him. She gnawed on her lower lip. "Severus...why are you looking at me like that? What did I say?"

"Lily...I don't _have _a television," Severus answered pointedly, his eyebrows knitting together in a heavy frown. "Why else would I have had to watch the moon landings at _your_ house?" He shook his head and tore his gaze away from his friend, looking off into the distance. He could hardly believe how forgetful the girl was; she normally remembered everything. "How could I know the same things that every other British child knows? I'm not like the rest of you. You should know that by now..."

"Well...we'll have to remedy that, won't we?" Lily said, taking hold of his free hand, gaining his attention once more. Her cheeks held traces of pink, as if she had just been blushing with mortification. She squeezed his hand lightly. "The next episode will be airing tomorrow night! You'll have to come over and watch it with us! I'm sure you'll love it! It's brilliant. There's science. There's fiction." Lily rambled on about _Doctor Who_ for several more minutes and, amused, Severus listened to all of it.

Severus admitted, even if only to himself, that the television program did sound intriguing. Time-Travel was nothing new to the Wizarding World; it would be interesting to see how the Muggle World viewed the concept as a whole and how they could justify it without the use of Magic. Severus would withhold his full opinion on the matter until he had, at least, seen one episode. He supposed there would be a temporal flux capacitor of some sort involved – something that could create a temporal vortex, at any rate.

Severus shook his head. The science that would be involved for a Muggle method of time-travel was too mind-boggling for him to comprehend at the present time. "Can we get back to the topic at hand?" Severus complained, waving his wand in the air demonstrably. Derailed from her babbling, Lily nodded, looking at the wand with exceptionally eager eyes. "I was reading the textbook earlier; the first spell mentioned is the _Wand-Lighting Charm_. It doesn't seem too complicated; we should start with that one."

Gripping his wand tightly in his right hand, Severus opened his textbook to the page which indicated the wand movements and incantation for the spell. He practiced the wand movement without the incantation first, ensuring that he had perfected the single-swivel flourish that the book's moving diagrams indicated. Once he had it down to an art, he began memorising the incantation. His heart beating rapidly in his chest at the thought of using his wand for the first time, Severus incanted the spell while performing the flourish with his wand-hand.

A rush of excitement filled him when the end of the wand glowed with a soft light. The positive result was clear to them; the evening was settling heavily around them, the sky darkening with every minute that passed. Lily squealed happily and clapped her hands together. "Well done, Severus! Can I try?" Severus opened his mouth to decline her request, but that damnable pout pulled at her lip. Severus allowed the spell to die, feeling distinctly uncomfortable as Lily gazed at him, still pouting.

Severus finally caved to Lily's desires, wincing as he reluctantly held the wand out to her. A look of triumph flashed in her emerald eyes, the pout vanishing instantly as she reached eagerly for the wand. As soon as her fingertips touched the red wood of the wand a series of angry sparks shot out from the tip. Lily jerked her hand back with such speed that Severus was worried she had been burned. The sparks fell upon the grass, igniting into flames. Panicking, Severus grabbed the book and began beating at the small fire, smothering it to the best of his ability.

It was fortunate that the grass had been laced with a growing amount of dew as dusk approached. Breathing heavily, Severus asked if Lily was alright. She was fine, of course, though startled. Neither of them had expected his wand to react that way. Severus supposed it had reacted to its master's reluctance to let Lily use it. "Maybe we should call it a day," Lily whispered, her face pale. "It's...it's getting late." Severus knew that was just an excuse, but he let it slide; she was bound to be frightened of him after the wand had reacted that way.

She would be right as rain the next day. Packing away his things, he offered a soft apology for his wand's behaviour and hugged the shaking girl warmly. Lily's grip on him was tight, but brief. After she ran into the house, shutting the backdoor on him without a word, Severus made his way out of the garden. Armed with his wand, Severus had no fear of the encroaching darkness. He walked home at a good pace, though it was not one that would cause him much pain. He was quite used to the burn of walking at this point that he had a rather high threshold for it.

When Severus arrived at the house he found, to his intense irritation, that Tobias had already returned home for the evening. Eileen was serving the man his dinner. Severus was surprised he could even manage to get the spoon into his mouth, considering how inebriated he was. When Eileen saw Severus in the doorway, she readied a bowl for him. A sneer curling his lip, Severus deposited his bag upstairs, washed his hands and returned to the kitchen. He sat in his usual chair, adjacent to his mother and opposite his father.

"You were late home today, Severus," Eileen commented, taking her own seat at the table.

"I was...reading," Severus answered airily. Judging by the expression on his mother's face, she understood perfectly. Tobias, at the other end of the table, snorted into his bowl of broth. Severus ignored his father to the best of his ability, reaching for his spoon. He ate a few spoonfuls, refraining from wincing at the lack of substance to it. He knew his mother was trying her best. A Witch cannot conjure food out of nothing; one must have it on hand in order to multiply it. If one does not have it, one cannot make more. "Mr Evans has always encouraged a healthy obsession with reading. He says that you can never go wrong with a good book."

"They never go wrong with a good wallop, either." A heavy silence fell upon the kitchen at Tobias' words. Eileen's knuckles turned white she was gripping her spoon so hard. Severus' spoon froze on its journey to his face. The expression on Tobias' face was frightening. "I don't want to hear about your precious Mr Evans." Tobias spoke of the man as if he were the most disgusting topic that could ever be discussed at the dinner table.

"It's not my fault that you feel inferior," Severus muttered, his voice barely more than a whisper. His heart leapt into his throat when Tobias jumped up from his chair, hands sending the table flying. Eileen let out a gasp, lunging for the bowls, trying to save them from hitting the floor; she could not abide such waste. Tobias, in a fit of monstrous rage, struck his wife across the face with the back of his hand for getting in his way, knocking her to the floor. Severus fled from the kitchen, his chair toppling over in his wake.

Tobias followed after him, his boots thudding heavily with each step he took. Severus was quick on his feet, but not quick enough. Tobias caught up to him near the top of the staircase, his hand grabbing a fistful of Severus' hair. The boy let out a scream of pain as Tobias yanked on his hair, almost ripping the scalp from his head. "I'll show you who's inferior," Tobias hissed, hauling him up the rest of the way, dragging him – Severus struggled every step of the way – into Severus' bedroom.

Severus almost bit off a chunk of his tongue when Tobias flung him down upon the floor. Severus scrambled to get up and run, but a boot to the abdomen put a stop to that idea. His body curled in on itself automatically, trying to protect his innards from Tobias' assault. "You bast –" Severus began, coughing the words up as his recently swallowed broth surged back up his throat.

"Don't make me hit you!" Tobias roared with fury, cutting the boy off mid-word. It was a cruel parody of Lily's words from earlier. "Honour thy father!"

"What for?" Severus spat at him, not even deigning to raise his head and look at his father. Severus did not raise his voice, but the hatred and bitterness were all too evident in his tone regardless. "You don't do anything but abuse your family; Mr Evans is ten times the father and man you'll ever be."

"SHUT UP!" Tobias struck out with his foot again, landing another hard blow to Severus' torso, earning a whimper of pain. Severus wanted nothing more than to whip his wand out of his satchel and threaten him with Magic, but he was afraid that Tobias would grab it from him and snap it in half, like he had snapped his bone, once upon a time. "Don't talk back to me, you little demon!"

"Hit a nerve, did it?" His question was decidedly barbed. He knew that it would make things with his father even worse, but he could hardly help himself. Severus glared up at Tobias contemptuously, his lip curling in a sneer at the sight of him. A vein in Tobias' forehead pulsed violently and he grabbed Severus' arm, pulling up him from the floor, only to strike him hard, sending him sprawling again. There was a rustle of fabric and a jingle of metal as Tobias pulled off his belt. When Severus tried to crawl away, he rammed his foot down onto Severus' rump, holding him in place.

The whip came down in a whirring arc, lightning fast...

To Be Continued


	21. Chapter 21

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Twenty-One.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Note: I am suffering from a very painful Writer's Block; I am flogging my muse, in an attempt to get him back into shape. Thanks for reading/reviewing and for your endless patience, guys! Feel free to let me what you think of this (long awaited) chapter! ^_^

Chapter Twenty-One: Flowers and Heart-Shaped Boxes

Lily proved to be correct; Severus fell in love with _Doctor Who_, just the same as she and her father had. Every Saturday night, without fail, Severus found himself curled up on the living room floor of Lily's house. Lily would always be beside him and Mr Evans would sit on the couch behind them, his legs a pleasant warmth against their backs. Severus treasured these nights with the Evans'. He cherished the feeling of belonging and relished the chance to enjoy sweets with the pair of them.

His relationship with Mrs Evans and Petunia continued to deteriorate, but it could not be helped. There was nothing he could do that would encourage them to look at him more favourably, aside from coming into a sudden inheritance of money to bring his family out of the gutter rat category and himself into a worthy person category. It was as likely to happen as it was for Tobias to set aside the alcohol and become a real man and a real father. _And that's as likely to happen as me becoming a Squib, _Severus thought darkly, his head bent and his shoulders hunched over his book on botany.

It was the fourteenth of February and Severus was in a less than pleasant mood. The very idea of Valentine's Day irritated him ceaselessly. Every year, without fail, Tobias would come home with a flower and present it to Eileen and she would smile a special smile that Severus never witnessed on any other day of the year. His eyes narrowing in a hateful glare, Severus tried to focus on his studies. It was proving to be terribly difficult; thoughts of his mother and father kept intruding upon him.

Severus could not fathom why Tobias thought he could justify his behaviour or get away with it; simply because the man gave Eileen a pretty flower one day a year. One flower could never equal the apology, romance and good treatment that Severus' mother deserved with all of her being. Severus wished that Eileen would stop forgiving his father. The man did not deserve it; not after everything that he had put Severus and Eileen through these past six years. Severus' hand tightened around his pen, his knuckles whitening.

Valentine's Day was for fools, he decided. It was for those who thought that romance lurked behind every corner and that true love was waiting with open arms. The reality was more than anyone could imagine. Love did not happen the way that the world thought it did. There was no such thing as love at first sight. Love was not wonderful. It was not magical. Love was a painful, disease-ridden thing that assaulted you over and over. It was an asp, hidden in a basket filled with flowers.

It was an apple laced with poison.

Love had the power to make your heart race and your breath quicken. It had the power to elate you...and crush you. It had the power to bring people together and tear people apart. It had the power to fill you with happiness and with bitterness. It had the power to give you strength and to take that strength away. Love and hate were brothers in the truest sense of the word. They walked hand in hand, embraced and fought over who would become the victor in the walk of life.

Severus' lip curled in derision at the thought. He was fairly certain that he knew which he was not going to be an unfortunate victim of. He would never willingly put himself in the same trap that his mother had been snared in and a curse upon anyone who would try to force him into it. He shook his head, laughing bitterly in self-mockery; no one would ever try to force him to be a victim of love. He recognised the inherent flaws within himself with practiced ease. Even in the years to come, Severus knew he would win no awards for masculine beauty or charm – in the same way his own mother had never won any.

Eileen Prince had been beautiful, yes; in her own way. Conventionally, however, she had been as far from being beautiful as anyone could get. She got worse with age, quite unlike a fine wine. Petunia Evans was in the same boat as the pair of them, though she refused to see it. The knowledge of that did not prevent him from noticing the flare of jealousy within her, whenever she laid eyes upon her younger sister, however. As much as Petunia loved Lily, she would always be in her shadow and that fact would follow her for the rest of her life.

People might pass him over, due to his appearance and negligible social worth, but he was there, existing calmly in the background. He was always watching, always listening; he knew it would come in handy in the future. He was fairly certain that he would not gain many friends while at Hogwarts, but his skills at spying would help him keep attuned to the school grapevine. Severus was only ten now and his skills were still weak, but they would be cultivated as he grew older, wiser.

With a sigh Severus returned to his work. He read through a number of chapters before a pleasant distraction arrived in the form of Lily Evans. The girl virtually skipped into the room, her crimson hair bouncing with her motion. The door swung shut behind her, shutting the pair of them off from the world outside. Severus lifted his head to greet her and had to bite back the groan of despair that rose within him. Lily was armed with a bunch of flowers, freshly picked and covered in dew.

Coming further into the room, Lily reached, with one hand, into her satchel, withdrawing a vase. Severus was almost amused by her forethought. Lily set the vase down on the desk and slipped the flowers in. Severus had to jerk his books back, in order to prevent them from getting wet by the falling drops of dew. Lily's green eyes drifted closed and she hummed softly, her hands resting against the side of the vase. Intrigued, Severus eyed the interior, his eyes glittering as the vase filled with water.

He dragged his gaze back up to Lily's face, flashing a grin at her. Lily opened her eyes, a satisfied smile stretching across her mouth as she noted that her endeavours had been successful. "That spell isn't covered until Sixth Year, you know," Severus said, complimenting her. Lily beamed at him, recognising the comment for what it was. Severus focused his mind and Magic and, with a flick of his hand, the drops of dew vanished from the table. He set his books back down. "The flowers are...nice," he continued, trying not to grimace. "I fail to see why you brought them here, though."

Lily's smile faltered for a fraction of a moment, before it smoothed out again. Severus' eyebrows knitted together in a frown. "I...I...well...it's just...you know..." she stammered, turning her face away as she busied herself with rooting around in her book bag, though he could not fathom why. "It's just something I thought you'd like...to...to...to brighten up the room," she blurted, her cheeks flushing with colour. She muttered something then that he did not quite catch, before turning around, her hands curled at her sides, her back rigid.

"What?"

"I said," Lily ground out through a clenched jaw, "Happy Valentine's Day."

Severus wanted to disappear through the floor at her pronouncement. He rubbed his temple with two fingers; a headache was beginning to develop. "Are you suggesting," Severus began, his lip curling in a sneer behind her back, "that you would like for me to be your Valentine?"

Severus' schooled his expression into a mask of indifference as Lily whirled around, her hair whipping about her. She spluttered indignantly, her cheeks still glowing warmly with the strength of her blush. "No; you're my friend! Gross!" Severus was not certain whether he should be relieved or offended by the statement, so he remained silent. His input hardly seemed to matter, however, for Lily continued to speak after a brief pause during which she calmed herself down. "Valentine's Day is about love; it doesn't have to be about romantic love."

"Most people would disagree with you," Severus commented baldly.

"Most people are fools," the girl retorted, folding her arms across her chest defiantly. The corner of Severus' mouth quirked upwards into an amused smirk; he had to agree with her statement. Lily drummed her fingers upon her arm. "I don't want you to be my Valentine, but I...I do want you to know that I care. I thought you would have been intuitive enough to understand that." If she was disappointed that he had not been, she hid it well. Finally understanding the presence of the flowers, Severus pulled his gaze away from his friend.

He contemplated the vase of flowers before him. There were many flowers in the bundle, though the ones Severus favoured were the _Lilium Martagon_ – or more commonly known as Turk's Cap Lilies. The flowers were pretty enough, though Severus believed gifting someone with flowers to be irrevocably stupid. They would, after all, die eventually. Nevertheless, he appreciated the gesture for what it was. A small smile graced his lips. He reached out and ran his fingertips along the petals of the nearest flower.

Pulling his hand back, he brought his fingers up to his face. The soft aroma of the flower clung to his fingertips. Severus' chest swelled with pleasant sentiment. He lifted his gaze back up to Lily, who was watching him like a hawk, as if his opinion on the flowers was immensely treasured. He bit back the urge to laugh, knowing she would not appreciate his amusement in that moment. "Thank you," Severus offered gently, his smile broadening as he gazed at his friend. Lily's cheeks flushed with a darker blush, a pleased grin dancing across her face.

The pair of them fell into silence and Severus returned to his reading. Lily made herself comfortable and waited patiently for him to be finished with his work. Time seemed to trickle past as Severus worked and soon he felt he had been cooped up in the backroom for days on end. He glanced over at Lily. Her eyes were closed and she was bopping her head to some unknown rhythm, her lips moving as she muttered to herself. Shaking his head in amusement, Severus read on.

Finally, after much waiting, closing time arrived and Mr Evans let them both loose on the world. Lily slipped her hand around Severus' elbow and pulled him along beside her. "Come on; we're going to the Corner Shop," she said sweetly. Severus allowed her to drag him over to the establishment and stepped inside, somewhat reluctantly. The usual mountain of sweet things met him upon entering, though there was now a new edition of heart-shaped boxes, which were obviously filled with a selection of chocolates.

Lily skipped over to the boxes, picking one up. "We can share," she declared, before hurrying over to the counter. Lily handed a few pounds to the proprietor on the other side of the counter, who glanced at Severus and winked at Lily, causing her to blush. After purchasing the box of chocolates, Lily practically ran outside, hauling Severus after her. "Honestly!" she said indignantly as they marched away from the Corner Shop. "The way he was going on, you'd think we were about to get married! I'd rather marry the back end of a dog!"

The comment felt like a hard slap and a kick to the gut, but Severus did his best to hide that fact from his friend. Lily was clearly oblivious of the effects her offensive commentary might have on him, for she continued to rant for several minutes, positively talking his ear off. His heart having fallen through the ground into a dungeon as dark as the Black Hole of Calcutta, Severus only half-listened to Lily as they headed in the direction of the playground. When they reached their destination they settled down onto the grass.

Lily opened the box and flipped the paper coverings over, revealing the chocolaty goodness inside. Frowning thoughtfully, the girl eyed the chocolates before choosing one. She popped it into her mouth, a dreamy expression taking over her face as her eyes drifted closed, hiding those lovely green irises from view. A contented sound pushed its way passed her closed lips. She was so easily blissful that Severus felt a pang of jealousy flare within him. He was rarely blissful; it normally took monumental events, from his perspective, to elevate his spirit that much.

Almost subconsciously, Lily pushed the box of sweets towards Severus, encouraging him to take one. Severus did so, placing it delicately into his mouth, as if he were afraid to damage it prematurely. The result was instantaneous as the chocolate began to melt, releasing endorphins within his body that filled him with growing contentedness. It was not the blissfulness that Lily was experiencing, but for him it was wonderful, regardless. He savoured that one sweet for as long as possible, before selecting another.

Lily began an animated conversation with him as they steadily devoured the sweets. They chatted about varying subjects, including _Doctor Who_ and the book Severus had been reading at the Pharmacy. Eventually, that year's Halloween was brought up, much to Severus' chagrin. "Mum said to come over tomorrow," Lily said, popping another chocolate into her mouth. "She needs to take your measurements for your Halloween costume."

Severus snorted in amusement and shook his head. "I'm sure your mother said no such thing; she hates me."

"She doesn't hate you! She just...doesn't like your circumstances..."

"Which isn't my fault." Severus pushed a lock of his hair behind his ear.

"No," Lily admitted, making a face that was hard to decipher, "but she doesn't really mean anything by it."

"You're deluded," Severus said, a sneer curling his lip.

"I prefer optimistic." Her chipper response was accompanied by a cheeky grin. _Optimism is overrated_, a small voice muttered in Severus' mind. Severus shook his head, amused by Lily's attitude regarding the matter. After some time, Lily spoke up again. "I should probably be getting home," she said, looking up at the sky, which held the first hints that night was approaching. A moment passed and she looked at Severus, green eyes sparkling. "If you like, we can practice Magic tomorrow, after Mum takes your measurements."

"How can she create a costume for me? I don't even know what to dress up as!"

"Well...you like _Doctor Who_, don't you? Go as one of the Doctors! Dad and I will help you choose, although I think the Second Doctor would probably suit you best." Severus' heart swelled with the knowledge that Lily was getting excited on his behalf. He had no idea what the Second Doctor looked like or what he wore, but he trusted Lily's judgment in that regard. "His hair would look adorable on you, Sev. It's like the Beatles' hair style – after getting kicked around a room for a bit!"

"I'll think about it," Severus said, decidedly noncommittal for the moment; he had no idea who the Beatles were, never mind what their hair looked like. He rose from the ground and offered Lily his hand. When the girl took it, smiling at him, he helped her up from the ground. She picked up the, now, empty box of chocolates and stuffed it into her satchel. Lily linked arms with him, just as she had done earlier, and they left the playground together. Walking arm in arm, Severus escorted her home. With his wand in his own satchel, he felt like a bodyguard of some sort.

"Thanks for walking me home." Tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear, Lily beamed at him. When Severus gave her a small smile in return, she threw her arms around him, hugging him warmly. Severus rested his hands lightly against her shoulder blades – he had never been very comfortable when returning her hugs, but she appreciated his efforts. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sev." With those final words, Lily turned her back on him and dashed up the driveway towards her house.

Severus watched her go, unsure why he felt a pang of sadness in his heart. Gripping the strap of his satchel tightly, he turned away from Lily's happy home. With his head bowed, his hair hanging down like curtains around his face, Severus made a swift retreat. His feet automatically followed the path home; it was etched into his subconscious, now, after so many nights of walking her home from the playground or the Pharmacy. The journey home was relatively quick and easy, though he had to rub pain out of his left arm at times as the evening chill grew heavier around him.

When he arrived home, he greeted his mother and settled at the table for dinner. Tobias had arrived home only a few moments before he did. After an awkwardly silent and meagre dinner, Severus took care of the dishes without being asked. As soon as he could, he disappeared upstairs, changed into his pyjamas and climbed into bed. In silence, Severus opened his Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook and began reading it for the sixth time since his mother had gifted it to him for his birthday.

With each reading Severus memorised more and more of the contents. He knew that it would stand to him when he entered Hogwarts next year; he would swiftly become the top student in the subject. He would try his hardest to do the same in his other subjects, particularly Potions, Transfiguration and Charms. He would become a Wizard that his mother would be proud of...

To Be Continued

Aw, Sev, you're so awkward ^_^


	22. Chapter 22

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Twenty-Two.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Notes: Thanks for reading and reviewing, guys. I love hearing your thoughts! ^_^

Chapter Twenty-Two: Building Bridges

The weeks passed by at a good pace and Severus managed to accomplish a number of things; not all of them Magical. He suffered through Mrs Evans' disapproving looks and frosty smiles in order to be measured for his Halloween costume. He did so only to receive a bright and happy smile from Lily, under whose watchful eye he had been the whole time. Mr Evans had been pleased, too, of course – until Petunia had heard and threw a strop, demanding that Mr Evans choose between them; either Severus would be trick-or-treating that year or she would be.

Sitting in the back garden of the Evans' household with Lily, Severus remembered, with clarity, the open shock and quiet hurt on Mr Evans' face when the elder girl had confronted him. He had looked exceedingly torn, with good reason. Severus had been certain that he would choose his daughter; what father would not have done so? The man had thrown them all for a loop, however, by straightening and looking at his daughter quite seriously. "Lily wants him to go," he had said, though his voice had indicated that saying so caused him pain.

Mr Evans' answer had been made clear. Severus' stomach twisted with guilt as Petunia's expression swam to the forefront of his mind. Everyone in the room had been able to tell the precise moment when Petunia's heart had split in two as her face crumpled, her eyes flooding with tears. She had not waited to hear another word, running away from them all, a choked sob echoing in her wake. Mr Evans reached out for her, but his action had been too late, his fingertips just brushing the tips of Petunia's hair before she was gone from the room.

The look Mrs Evans had given Severus, then, had been positively venomous. Severus had quickly excused himself from the household, having intruded too much already. He had been conflicted for a long time, afterwards. Part of him had leapt with joy and surprise that Mr Evans had chosen him, but mostly Severus was angry with himself. He could imagine what had been going through the girl's head. Merlin knew he was subjected to the same feelings on many occasions; it had almost become a second skin to him, in fact.

As a result of that catastrophic day Lily and Petunia had fallen out. It was not the first time, but Severus had never seen Lily so upset afterwards. Her cheek had been rosy red, as if she had been slapped, and her face had been drenched in tears. Severus had tried to comfort her, but she flinched away from his touch. Even after the passing of eight weeks, Lily still blanched whenever Severus tried to bring up her sister's name; their dispute still had not been settled. "You have to talk to her," Severus said, looking at his friend quite seriously. "Don't let _me_ come between your family; I'm not worth that."

"Yes, you are," Lily said firmly, though she glared down at the grass beneath her. Her expression was defiant, yet pain was flickering in and out of her eyes. Severus hated to see her so torn up inside. "You never call me a freak. You don't run away from me. You don't push me to the ground if I scare you. Hell, I don't even frighten you." Lily ripped a fistful of grass from the ground and began tearing them to shreds as she spoke. "Why should I choose someone who does any of that, over someone who doesn't?"

"She could be worse," Severus retorted quietly, "a lot worse. She could take a belt to you; beat you until you were bloody. She could call you every derogative term under the sun. But she doesn't; she lashes out with childish name-calling and shoving because she doesn't understand – and in that regard, she is no different from any other child. Petunia doesn't understand why you can do what you do and she can't; you both came from the same genetic pool. In her mind, she should be able to do Magic, too. That isn't the only difference between the pair of you, either. She isn't nearly as pretty as you are; you inherited good bone structure and physical traits that she didn't."

Severus raised his head and looked up at the house. Petunia was sitting by her window, upon an upholstered windowsill. She rested the side of her head against the pane. Her hands rested limply upon her lap. She was not looking in their direction specifically, but Severus would not be surprised if she could see them in her peripheral vision. "She's not as smart as you are, judging by the results you told me about at Christmas, and yet she is determined to prove to your parents that she can be."

"Why, Severus, I didn't realise you cared about how Petunia felt," Lily said teasingly, turning her head to look at Severus.

"I don't," Severus huffed, his attention regained by his friend. Lily's emerald eyes burned with something that Severus was not able to determine. "I care about_ you_. You care about your family, so, naturally, I care about what happens to them, in turn." As Severus spoke to her, he felt a few droplets of rain upon his head, signalling that the pair of them should head inside. They did so in good time and managed to escape the downpour that had begun outside. "Trying to help your problems will reduce my own headaches, because you'll be whining and crying less."

Contrary to what Severus thought would happen, Lily laughed. "You're so self-serving!"

"Naturally." Severus grinned in amusement and Lily elbowed him playfully, a gesture which he gamely returned. "Seriously, though," Severus continued, setting the fun aside for the moment as Lily lead him into the kitchen, where she fixed them both a ham and cheese sandwich. "You really need to talk to her; you'll regret it if you don't. There's nothing more important than blood."

"Sev, I don't want to talk about this."

"One day she won't be here anymore," Severus said, as if Lily had not said anything, "and it'll hit you hard that you never tried to rebuild the bridge between you. It's something you need to do – for your own benefit." Lily cut their sandwiches into small triangles and arranged them on a small plate, which they would be able to share. The girl glanced at him as she lifted the plate from the counter, before carrying it over to the kitchen table, to which Severus followed her, taking a seat.

"Severus, you don't have any siblings. How can you know what's best for me?"

"You're right. I don't have any siblings – thank Merlin for that – but why should that mean that I'm incapable of offering advice?"

"Do you always answer a question with a question?"

"Do you really want an answer to that?" Severus asked, clearly amused, as his friend selected a triangle. Lily snorted and shook her head, taking a bite out of her sandwich segment. Severus took the liberty to select his own portion, savouring each bite he took. After swallowing two or three marvellous bites, he continued talking. "I'm just saying that familial bonds are important. You shouldn't waste the opportunity to put this petty squabble behind you. One day you may need her and she won't want anything to do with you, otherwise." Severus took another bite of his sandwich, chewing thoughtfully as he eyed Lily across the table.

Lily sighed around the sandwich she was devouring and swallowed, with some measure of difficulty. "You're trying to make me be self-serving. I'll tell you now; it won't work."

"If you won't do it for yourself...then do it for your father; he's been miserable."

"Now you're trying to fill me with guilt."

"Is it working?"

"Yes," Lily grunted, pushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I'll be back in a moment." She brushed crumbs from her hands and lap, before rising from her chair. Her back straight and her head held high, she left the kitchen in pursuit of her sister's bedroom. Severus did not bother to listen; he knew very well that Petunia would forgive her sister. He was beginning to understand their dynamics, now, after so many months as Lily's friend. He finished his sandwich in silence and polished off two more by the time Lily returned.

The girl wore a smile as bright as the sun and her eyes were slightly dazed. "Went well, then, I take it?" Lily let out a giddy laugh, nodding happily. "Well done," he said, a tad mockingly, earning a hard swat on his arm as Lily passed him on her way to her chair. Severus smirked and bit into his last sandwich segment. "I knew it would go swimmingly, so now you know to take my advice in the future." Lily sat down on her chair, extraordinarily prim and proper for such a wild child, and then completely ruined the effect by sticking her tongue out at him.

They shared an amused grin. Gradually, they struck up a conversation, chatting animatedly with each other for quite some time. Lily ended up dragging her chair around to Severus' side of the table, leaning in close to him as they spoke excitedly about Magic. Intermittently, the pair of them would chuckle, as if they were discussing some enormous and very dirty secret. Their discussion came to an end when Mr Evans came through the front door, whistling merrily to himself as he removed his rain-jacket, visible to them through the open kitchen door.

Lily went to greet him, a grin on her face. Severus watched them, a pang of jealousy flaring as Mr Evans swooped down on her, gathering her up into a warm embrace. For a brief moment he wondered what it would have been like had his own father been so loving, but he pushed the thought away quickly, his lip curling in derision at his weakness. Mr Evans ran his hand through Lily's fiery hair, his lips moving as he made a comment to which Severus was not privy. It was clearly something nice, judging by the expression that washed over Lily's face.

Mr Evans turned towards the kitchen and waved cheerily at Severus. The boy returned the gesture, somewhat more subdued than Lily's father. The pair of them entered the kitchen, Lily following behind her father. Mr Evans ruffled Severus' hair fondly as he headed towards the fridge. Severus felt a surge of pleasure at the familiar action. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Perching herself upon her chair once more, Lily grinned at him, clearly amused by his reaction.

Severus stuck his tongue out at her briefly, an innocent expression washing over his face as Mr Evans turned away from the fridge, yoghurt in hand. The man eyed him for a moment, green eyes calculating. Under such intense scrutiny, his innocent demeanour crumbled and the man smirked, a hint of triumph flashing in his eyes. _Blast, I'll have to work on that_, Severus thought, pulling his gaze away from Mr Evans. Chuckling, the man disappeared into the living room, picking the newspaper up from the counter as he left the kitchen.

"From your reaction, you'd think he was _your_ Dad," Lily joked, her green eyes sparkling.

Severus snorted in amusement, shaking his head. "Spare me; I don't hold with such sentiment."

"Careful, there, Sev; with those lies, you might start growing an enormous nose like _Pinocchio_!" In answer, Severus stared at her in confusion. He had no idea who Pinocchio was and he doubted his nose could get any bigger, regardless of how many lies he told. At his expression, Lily jumped up from her chair. "This is an outrage! You must learn about _Pinocchio_! He's a timeless classic!" She marched around the table, grabbed Severus' hand and dragged him out of the kitchen.

Amused and partially irritated at being hauled around by a girl, Severus followed Lily as she dashed up the stairs. He soon found himself standing in the familiar confines of Lily's bedroom. Lily pulled him over towards her bookcase and perused the shelves, her fingertips caressing the spines of her beloved books. When she found the book she wanted she withdrew it from the shelf. She held the book out to him, a smile tugging at her mouth. Taking the book from her, Severus gazed down at the cover. It was a copy of _The Adventures of Pinocchio_ by Carlo Collodi. "You want me to read it, I'd imagine," Severus drawled.

"No, I want you to sit down and stare at the front cover all day."

"That could be arranged," Severus said cheekily. "In fact, if you like, I could stare at _you_ all day." He proceeded to show her just how long he could stare, then, following her around, his eyes unblinking. Severus stopped staring at her long before she would have grown irritated, but not before they started elbowing each other, almost but not quite playfully. Soon their fun came to an end, for Severus had to return home for supper; he did not want to intrude on the Evans' family time.

Severus endured a hug from Lily and a hair-ruffle from Mr Evans when it was time for him to leave, after vowing that he would read and protect the book Lily had entrusted to him. When he arrived home, he sat through a tense meal with his parents and took care of a few chores in an effort to appease Tobias, who appeared to be in a rather volatile mood. His mood was nothing unusual, but Severus managed to avoid drawing the man's attention towards him. He was the only one to avoid Tobias' ire, however.

Sometime after Severus had disappeared into his room, he heard the beginning of a disturbance downstairs. Sitting on his bed, defence text open on his lap, Severus cringed as Tobias' voice echoed through the house, horrible phrases falling from his barbed tongue. He thought he heard his mother say something in response, before her cry of pain reached his ears. A loud crash followed. Severus assumed it was the kitchen table being knocked over during Tobias' rage. He closed his textbook sharply.

A grim sense of determination overcame him and he climbed out of bed. He retrieved his wand from his satchel, which had been stowed under his bed. Gripping his wand tightly in his right hand, Severus tiptoed out of his room, avoiding all the floorboards that creaked. He crept downstairs and positioned himself outside the kitchen door. Tobias' back was to him – a good thing, too, because Severus knew he would be lynched within an inch of his life if the man saw him with his wand.

If Eileen had noticed Severus' appearance she made no effort to advertise the fact. Severus did not want Tobias to be alerted to Severus' presence behind him. He raised his wand, aiming it at his father's back. Severus knew it was a lowly thing to do, but he imagined it was the lesser of two evils. His mind went over the spells that he had practiced until they were etched in his mind. He could not do anything too harmful or obviously magical, but there was a spell he could use without too many problems arising. Not for him, at least.

Severus thought of the incantation and the effects as he performed the wand movements, concentrating fiercely. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as a non-verbal blast of magical energy, dark green in colour, slammed into Tobias' back, causing the man to stumble fractionally. Severus danced out of sight immediately, disappearing up the stairs as quickly as possible, without making a sound. The spell he had used was the _Curse of the Bogies_, which would give Tobias a severe head cold.

It was not the most spectacular spell that Severus could have performed, but it was serviceable. It would distract Tobias long enough for him to leave Severus' mother alone. Severus was up in his bedroom again, wrapped up in his blankets, his textbook open once more, when he heard Tobias sneeze loudly. Then he uttered a curse, followed by another louder sneeze. Tobias hardly ever got sick and so Severus had never had a chance to hear the man sneeze before. It was loud and high-pitched, uncomfortable against Severus' ears.

A smug grin danced across Severus' face. For five whole minutes Tobias sneezed uncontrollably, before uttering another loud obscenity. The man's heavy boots stomped up the stairs and passed Severus' bedroom. Severus held his breath, just in case Tobias decided to come in, but the man did no such thing. He continued on his journey, heading into the bathroom. Severus tuned out when he heard his father begin to blow his nose; he did not care to listen any further, nor was there any need to.

Severus read a few chapters of his defence text – already he had three-quarters of it memorised – before retrieving the book Lily had lent him. It would take him a number of days to get through the entire book; he could really only enjoy a book when he was in his room, alone, or when he was at the playground with Lily, sitting under the shade of a tree. He knew, however, that the book would be returned to Lily before a third week rolled over. Severus was glad; he was not a fan of borrowing books, in all honesty.

The fact that he had little choice but to do so irked him ceaselessly. Severus wished, with all his heart, that he could have funds enough to buy his own books and build himself his own personal library. "Lily's so lucky," he softly said, the words accompanying a sigh as he opened the book to the first page...

To Be Continued

Ah, Pinocchio; such a disturbing story!

Anyways, feel free to let me know what you think!


	23. Chapter 23

Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Twenty-Three.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Notes: Thanks for reading/reviewing guys! I appreciate all of you! *throws cookies* Most of the info about Dragons that I used in this chapter came from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander (Haha, good one JK; guess the copyright goes to him, eh? ~_^ )

Chapter Twenty-Three: Dragons, Disney and Inequality

Severus followed Lily into the back garden, his hand wrapped loosely around the strap of his satchel. He could not help but admire her hair as it bobbed in front of him, brushing against her shoulders. Lily had fallen asleep the previous night, her hair wet and braided, resulting in a cascade of crimson waves. Her hair was always so full of life, instilling jealousy in him again and again. There was nothing he would not give, in order to live the life she led, to be as happy as her...as healthy as her...as innocent as her.

_Stop it_, he scolded himself harshly, his eyebrows knitting into a scowl behind Lily's back. _Be grateful for what you have_. Lily led him to the middle of the garden and sprawled out on the grass, Severus quickly following suit. He pulled his satchel towards him, rummaging through it for the book Lily had lent him. Producing it, he held it out to her, the cover faded in the sunlight. "That...was disturbing," he said, an amused smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Lily turned towards him, emerald eyes sparkling as her face was bathed in a warm glow. Severus' breath caught for the briefest moment, before he pushed onwards. "I liked it."

_The Adventures of Pinocchio_ had disturbed and enthralled him endlessly. In the end, he had read the book three times before bringing it back to Lily. Severus hoped he could read more tales like that in the future. Lily smiled at him; there was a brief flash of white as her lips parted in her happiness. "I had hoped you would," she said, sounding surprised and pleased simultaneously. Her smile turned impish. "You should try the _Grimm's Fairy Tales_! They're so disturbing it's not even funny."

The irony of that remark did not escape Severus when Lily followed it with a bubble of laughter. "Maybe I will one day," Severus replied softly, his dark eyes glittering as Lily stuffed the book into her satchel before rolling over onto her back. The girl squinted as she gazed up at the blue sky, her head resting upon her arms, a serene smile dancing across her mouth. Severus rested his chin in his hand, his elbow digging into the grass as he gazed across at her. _You really are too good for me_, he thought.

It was not the first time the thought had crossed his mind, nor would it be the last, but it had never caused him to ache so much as it did then. Severus knew that, one day, Lily would realise she was better off being as far away from him as possible, that his presence would taint her. Once they reached Hogwarts and she encountered other people as bright and as brilliant as she was, it would be inevitable that she would find his presence in her life unbearable. He only hoped that, when the time came, their separation would be a gentle one.

Knowing his own flare for courting disaster, however, his hope would, more than likely, fail to come to fruition. Severus' lip curled derisively at the thought; the injustice of it all was not lost on him. Arching into the warm sunlight, Lily made a noise of contentment, distracting him from his thoughts instantly. A soft smile graced his face as he gazed at his friend, unsure why her happiness gave him a jolt of his own, though obviously muted in comparison. The fact of the matter was that Lily was pure sunshine, much like her father.

Sunshine caused people to react strangely. It caused them to smile, to almost glow with some inner fire that they had not known existed. It caused them to stand up straighter, reach for its warmth with everything they had. Severus loved sunshine – possibly more than he had ever loved anything. Uncomfortable with the realisation that she was so precious to him, he tore his gaze away from Lily, looking down at the green grass instead; unfortunately the colour was all too similar to that of her eyes.

Severus scowled, his lip curling in a moue of distaste. He had no idea when, precisely, the girl had wormed her way under his skin and into his heart, nor could he recall whether it had been instantaneous or a gradual process. Either way, it was unsettling. Severus blamed Mr Evans; it was entirely his fault for leaving him susceptible to such sentimental attachments. In the end, he was sure it would be the death of him. Severus let out a breath he never knew he had been holding, the gust of it disturbing the grass in front of him.

"Something's bothering you," Lily said quietly, voicing her concerns as gently as possible, knowing very well that Severus did not react well when forced to face problems. He tensed, his heart stopping for a fraction of a moment, before beginning to pound harshly against his ribs. Severus stared at the ground, refusing to lift his head, refusing to admit that she was right. "You can talk to me about it...if you like. I'm a good listener." He detected movement in his peripheral vision; it was Lily, turning over onto her side, looking at him carefully.

Briefly, Severus imagined talking to her, telling the truth about everything, letting the words flow out of him like water, crushing in its onslaught. Following that thought came the visual of the agonising look of pity that would mar Lily's face upon the revelation. He was not expecting it when Lily rested her hand upon his arm, her touch light and warm and affectionate. Severus flinched away from her hand, jerking his arm away. He told himself that he never saw the pained look that crossed Lily's face.

"Severus," she began tentatively, a trace of hurt lacing the word.

"Don't," Severus snapped, the word harsh and violent as it pushed its way up his throat and out of his mouth. Lily's face twitched, as though she was torn between crying and grimacing. Severus tore his gaze away, scowling fiercely at the ground as his system was flooded with guilt and anger and so much yearning to speak of things that were best left undisturbed. "Just...just don't, Lily, okay? I'm not...I can't...I don't...this isn't a good subject to be discussing with your best friend!"

Severus' throat was tight, constricting, trying to render him unable to breathe. The thought of Lily continuing to try to uncover the truth filled him with a terror that was almost palpable. He wondered if she could sense it, in her own way. Trying to quell the surging panic, Severus closed his eyes and focused his mind on calming himself down – or tried to, at any rate. It was not an easy feat, considering he could practically feel Lily's sympathetic, if confused eyes on him. "Whatever it is, it's really bad, isn't it?"

"Lily," he warned, his voice tight, controlled. "I'm asking you nicely; _let it go_."

"But –"

"Lily!"

"Alright, alright! No need to get snippy." The girls words were petulant, but even Severus could hear a vast amount of caring beneath the tone. It made him feel uncomfortable and pleased at the same time, if that were even possible. He glanced in her direction, only to note that she was frowning at him, clearly troubled. After a long stretch of silence, during which neither of them spoke to each other, Lily finally said, "well...whenever you do want to talk about it, I'm here for you. I always will be."

Severus let out a morose sigh and turned over onto his back, resting one arm beneath his head and the other across his eyes. He knew very well, deep down inside, that he would never speak to Lily about such things. She could pester him for the rest of his life, but Severus would never open the door to those dark, murky secrets. It was quite horrible enough that Mr Evans was aware of the truth, but the man did not _pity_ him – at least, not as far as Severus could tell. That was alright; Severus did not care, as long as he never _saw_ it.

Lily, however, was virtually an open book. Everything she ever felt or thought was written in bold print upon her facial expressions and her body language, waiting for someone to pick up on it. He swallowed thickly. Severus could not even stomach the idea of having to face such pity every time he looked at his friend. Grumbling under his breath, Severus pushed such thoughts out of his mind; he did not want to get overwhelmed by them, as he usually did with troubling thoughts.

The silence stretched between them, neither of them opting to speak for a short while; both of them were far too busy sorting out their muddled minds. Eventually, one of them had to break the silence and, just like the previous occasion, the task was left to Lily. "Tell me about Dragons, Severus."

A burst of laughter bubbled up from Severus' torso, deep and healthy. He should have known that Lily would eventually ask him about something of Magical origin. Severus lowered his arm and turned his head, squinting through the sunlight at his friend. "Why'd you want to know about them? You're not likely to meet one any time soon, you know."

Lily looked at him as though he were stupid. "Because, silly, I'm Muggle-born and I don't know anything about our world, except for what you've told me. I want to, at least, have _some _basic knowledge about things before I get to Hogwarts. I'd be a laughing stock, otherwise!"

"No, you won't," Severus answered firmly. "Most people only know that Dragons are classified by the Ministry of Magic as being a quintuple X creature; this means that they're known Wizard killers and are impossible to train or domesticate. As such, they are a creature that you can't have as a pet – no matter how good of a Magizoologist you think you are. Only the Dragon Reserves have them in large numbers, because Muggles aren't allowed to see them. I think Gringotts Wizard Bank has one or two, but they're being used as a form of high security –"

"I thought you said they couldn't be trained," Lily interjected sharply, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I said the Ministry classed them as being un-trainable," Severus ground out through clenched teeth. "It isn't strictly true; they can be...conditioned, just like any other being." When Lily gave him a look of confusion, Severus closed his eyes and took a moment to calm himself down. "They can be conditioned to...to expect pain, whenever they hear certain sounds." _Like father's boots stomping up the stairs_, a voice whispered in his head. _Shut up,_ he barked in response, almost growling at himself. Pulling away from his thoughts, he opened his eyes, only to note that Lily was about to go into a mighty rant.

"That's absolutely barbaric! I hope those _bastards_ get what's coming to them!"

"It's no more barbaric than a Muggle zoo."

"Yes it is! It's worse – a hundred times worse!"

"Is it, really? Every creature, Magical or Muggle, wants nothing more than its freedom. They want to be out in the open, free to hunt and mate and run and drink and eat on its own terms; that's nature's way. When you rip all of that away from them, what else do they have left? People pay money to see them trapped, isolated, depressed – and all of it for their own amusement. It's _just as_ sick and cruel as teaching them to flinch away whenever they hear a familiar sound, to fill them with sheer terror and helplessness. There's more than one kind of freedom and the deprivation of any kind is immoral."

Lily gave him a shrewd look and for one terrifying moment Severus thought she might have figured everything out. "I don't like your way of thinking."

Severus released a breath he had not known had been held, his mouth curling into the faintest of smiles. "No surprise, there." The response was rather cheeky, but he felt no shame for it, though he quickly continued their previous topic of discussion. "As I was saying, most people don't know anything about Dragons. Care of Magical Creatures is an elective that you can select at the end of your second year at Hogwarts and you can stop taking it after completing your Ordinary Wizarding Levels at the end of fifth year. Dragons _are_ covered, but only barely really. The more advanced knowledge is saved for those who go on to do Dragon Taming at the reserves – they basically look after the animals and make sure they don't go on a rampage through the countryside."

Lily hummed contemplatively, looking down at the grass for a moment, frowning. "Keep going," she said, gesturing lazily with her hand.

"The female is generally larger and more aggressive than the male," Severus continued, "though neither should be approached by any but highly skilled and trained Wizards. Dragon hide, blood, heart, liver and horn all have highly Magical properties, but Dragon eggs are defined as Class A Non-Tradable Goods. There are ten breeds of Dragon, though these have been known to interbreed on occasion, producing rare hybrids. Pure-bred Dragons are as follows: Antipodean Opaleye, Chinese Fireball, Common Welsh Green, Hebridean Black, Hungarian Horntail, Norwegian Ridgeback, Peruvian Vipertooth, Romanian Longhorn, Swedish Short-Snout and Ukrainian Ironbelly."

"Are you saying Witches can't be Dragon Tamers...?"

Severus laughed. "No, silly. When speaking about a group of wand-carriers – like us – you say Wizards."

"Why not use Wizardkind?"

"Because we just don't."

"But –"

"Do you want to hear about Dragons or not?" he demanded, giving his friend a sharp look.

"I – oh, alright, yes, you may proceed." Lily repeated the lazy gesture from earlier.

"How generous of you," Severus said mockingly, though it lacked the bite that anyone else would have heard from him. Almost eagerly, Severus continued to impart knowledge about Dragons upon his friend, to the best of his ability. Lily, to her credit, tried very hard to refrain from asking too many questions, but she failed spectacularly in that regard. Severus did not mind too much; in fact, he found it embarrassingly endearing, if he was to be completely honest – though only to himself, of course.

Perish the thought if Lily ever learned what he truly thought. He could not imagine allowing her to be privy to such personal feelings and thoughts, especially in regards to Lily and what she meant to him. Frankly, it would be horrendously embarrassing. Severus was inherently glad that the subject had reverted back to their discussion of Dragons. He told her everything that he knew about Dragons, which was pretty basic knowledge compared to what a Dragon Tamer could tell her.

"And lastly," Severus said, "the largest breed of Dragon, the Ukrainian Ironbelly, has been known to achieve a weight of six tonnes. Rotund and slower in flight than the Vipertooth or the Longhorn, the Ironbelly is nevertheless extremely dangerous, capable of crushing dwellings on which it lands. The scales are metallic grey, the eyes deep red and the talons particularly long and vicious. Ironbellies have been subject to constant observation by the Ukrainian Wizarding authorities ever since an Ironbelly carried off a sailing boat from the Black Sea in 1799."

Lily sucked in a breath, before exclaiming, "Those poor people!"

"It was empty."

"Are you sure?" Lily nibbled her bottom lip and her eyes quivered. It was a sure sign that the girl was sincerely worried about the people that might have been onboard the boat during the incident. Severus nodded, affirming that he was certain. "Well...that's good, then. I can't imagine how terrifying it would have been; giant talons slicing through the boat, the thing shaking and jostling, sending people tumbling this way and that. All the screaming... It would have been horrible!"

Severus hummed in agreement, though he had only half-listened to Lily's ramblings. He knew it would have been horrible if someone _had_ been aboard the boat, but he did not ponder it for too long; what was the point? It had happened almost two hundred years previously. Severus was not going to waste his energies trying to imagine something that could have happened more than a hundred years before he was born – and on another side of the world, no less. Lily, however, could waste her energies in whatever way she liked for all he cared.

Lily was about to ask him another question, but was distracted when Petunia opened the backdoor rather more vigorously than necessary. The blonde girl sneered briefly at Severus before focusing on her sister. Severus tried not to take affront; he knew very well why she resented him and he could not blame her. The way Mr Evans treated her in comparison to Lily was not really fair, though Severus knew that few things in life were. But the treatment of siblings should be equal; he knew that much.

"Mum said to tell you the credits for _Peter Pan_ are rolling...if you want to watch it."

Lily jumped up from the ground, cheering enthusiastically. "Come on, Sev! You'll enjoy it!" Ignoring the angry and slightly offended expression on Petunia's face, Lily hauled Severus up from the ground, despite the token protestation he made. Severus flashed an almost apologetic look at the elder girl as Lily dragged him inside. He did not see Petunia's reaction, but he could imagine that it was less than savoury. At least he could say that he had tried to fix the rift between them; that was more than Petunia could claim – not that she cared in the slightest.

Lily led him into the living room, the pair of them curling up on the floor together, watching as the credits came to an end. Severus stared, transfixed, as the credits gave way to an image of London...

To Be Continued

Feel free to let me know what you think! ^_^


End file.
